


Viscount Stark's new bride

by Nix_X



Series: Avengers-Regency Edition [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Regency, Arranged Marriage, Betrayal, Espionage, F/M, Napoleonic Wars, Non-Graphic Violence, Protective Tony Stark, Slow Build, wallflower - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-01 06:13:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 46,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11480337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nix_X/pseuds/Nix_X
Summary: I am horrifyingly bad at summariesIn 1813 after Bonaparte's exile and the declaration of peace , Wanda Maximoff an American heiress enters into an arranged marriage with Anthony Stark,heir to the Earl of Shield and falls head over heels into a tangle composed of societal politics,political intrigue and Tony Stark.Rating for Chapter 20





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was originally intended to be a two chapter short story which has somehow morphed into this....thing. I do hope you enjoy and please point out any mistakes you find or criticisms you wish to make.

** PROLOGUE **

Wanda stared at the man she barely knew, willing her head to stop aching. Everything about him was in direct contrast to her. He was dressed marvellously and his attire, from the expensive simplicity of his dark blue coat to the gleam on his polished Hessians mocked her own, merely-adequate green gown which had been made three seasons ago. The most that could be said of it was that it fitted her well. _He_ was by anyone’s standards handsome, with laughing dark eyes, a tanned angular face and hair which defied fashion but still managed to make the face below it stunning. And that was just what was above the neck. Below was composed of hard lines and a lean compact figure with the expensive tailoring only serving to highlight that fact rather than conceal it. In contrast she herself was slender with no figure to speak of, a pale face, straight unfashionably long brown hair which had been twisted into a small knot at the back of her head and two dark eyes which looked like burnt out holes in her face according to her guardian.

The most striking difference however was that the man in question seemed to be completely at ease, confidently lounging on the settee ,one leg dangling over the other while she herself wanted nothing more than to throw herself off the nearest cliff.

“Well?” The cool drawl made her jump. She looked up to meet his mocking eyes, a question in her own. “Do I meet with your approval?”

Anger flared in her, sharp and swift. He was laughing at her, mocking her, knowing fully well that he held all the cards. “Does it matter?” She suddenly snapped, tired of the pointless games. That wiped the laugh off his face, she noted with satisfaction.

“Yes” he said baldly. She looked up startled. She hadn’t been expecting that. He continued. “Naturally this is nothing more than a marriage of convenience but if you feel that you cannot stomach the very idea of me as your husband, I can assure you I will walk out of this house and rescind my offer immediately.”

Wanda’s eyes dropped back to her lap. While he was almost certainly lying, there was a seriousness to his eyes which made her suspect that he wasn’t, which she hated. She of all people should know that men were expert liars. Her sainted father had been one of them, she thought bitterly. Then again what other choice did she have?

She was the product of a disastrous marriage between the seventh son of an obscure English baron who had been forced to escape to America to avoid his creditors and the notoriously wild but immensely charming American heiress Elvira Blake whose activities had even shocked American Society. The only people knocking at the door asking for Wanda’s hand in marriage were fortune hunters. Lord Fotherby, the sixty year old baron who smelled of stale whisky and who had buried two wives already. Lord Gaskell, a noted gambler and roué who was whispered to have fathered three children out of wedlock. Lord Mulvaney, the amiable drunk who had wasted away his father’s fortune in gambling and drink and who was seldom seen sober.

While the man in front of her was widely known to be a rake, there had never been a sniff of anything unsavoury concerning him. She conceded reluctantly to herself  that in the half hour she had spent closeted with him he hadn’t once made her feel the way the Lords Fotherby and Gaskell had made her feel in the first five minutes of meeting them. A feeling that had made her skin crawl and inspired her with a sudden desire to clothe herself in a nun’s habit to avoid their eyes.

She also knew that if she declined this man there was a very good chance that her guardian would actually kill her. Mr Herbert Poston, in addition to being a man who looked like a prize fighter with a face that bore a distinct resemblance to a pig also possessed a distinct way with his fists which he tended to employ anytime he was crossed. And refusing marriage to a Viscount would definitely count as crossing him.

“If it helps, I assure you that you will be allowed to lead an entirely separate life. We will only have to meet for certain joint occasions and of course, when we have to procure an heir” he said carefully. Bile rose in her throat. An heir. She would have to allow this stranger to do…. things to her sometime in the future. He offered freedom though, freedom from the life she was leading now. He also offered independence. That was something precious few suitors would offer.

“Why me?” she asked, under no illusions as to the compliment paid to her by this offer.

Viscount Malham, son and heir to the Earl of Shield and the vast Shield fortune might have been cut off by his parent but was still the ton’s most eligible bachelor. His popularity extended not only to the social circles of the haute ton but also into political and intellectual circles. Great men like Lord Palmerston sung his praises and his genius was widely credited for helping England win the war against Bonaparte.

When he had abruptly announced four months ago that he was removing himself from the field of designing and manufacturing weapons, hands had been raised, society had buzzed with consternation and his father had expressed his feelings loudly, decisively and publicly. His subsequent ventures into domestic matters such as the designing of drainage systems for the city and experimenting with drought resistant crops had been received with astonishment, then curiosity and now with cautious admiration by some and contemptuous amusement by others. He still remained widely loved-his title of charming young rake undergoing only a minor transformation to that of eccentric charming young rake. His standing in the political world hadn’t changed either to the surprise of many. Which begged the question- _why her_?

He let out a long breath before uncrossing his legs and leaning forward in his seat. ”I need money” he said simply. “My father unfortunately hasn’t been …er ..very receptive to the new direction in which I’m taking my life and I need money to finance my work. I also require a certain degree of freedom to concentrate on my life and work. I believe that you and I have something in common there and a partnership between us can be mutually beneficial. As long as you are discreet and avoid scandal I see no reason to interfere in your life”.

She was very, very glad that she had never had any romantic notions regarding love and marriage. Or at the very least had sternly suppressed any such notions the moment they had made an appearance. Making a mental note to speak to the cook about why her cooking was creating a queasy feeling in her victims’s stomachs she opened her mouth to launch counterfire. This might be what fate had earmarked for her but she wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

“I’ll want a private income of my own” she declared, head held high and entirely disregarding the tremor in her voice. It was her money for god’s sake, her inner rebel swore before promptly getting booted out by her inner Wanda who hastily crossed herself.

He nodded. That was it? She had expected a call to the local doctor with a request to test her sanity at the very least.

“Also-” she swallowed. This was important, she needed to get a grip on herself. “My brother Pietro, he is seven years younger than me, twelve and up at Eton right now. Would it be all right if…if …hecouldstaywithusduringhisholidays?”

The intent look disappeared from his face and was replaced with his characteristic laughing expression. “I could be wrong” he said with mock gravity making her long to scratch his smile off, “But I believe you asked if your brother could stay with us during his holidays and I assume you also wish him to make his home with us till he comes of age?”

Wanda stared at him, eyes wide and pleading, barely daring to breathe. Pietro, her darling Pietro whom she had loved and looked after and taken care of since he was a baby. In no way could she even think of sending him back to America with their-guardian, to live the same wretched life they had lived till her guardian had decided to use her as a way to establish business ties in England. She also knew that the chances of her father’s family providing him with a home was non-existent. Sir Maximoff might only be an obscure baron but he had very properly struck his 7th son’s name off the family bible the moment he had decided to marry a temperamental American heiress with no claim to gentility.

As it was, sending him to Eton had been a struggle in itself. It had taken hours of pleading with her guardian before he had relented and agreed to loosen the purse strings. The purse which contained her money, she thought bitterly. This, _this_ was the only way to buy her brother a life, a real one. As the brother-in-law of Viscount Malham doors would be thrown open for him and she could make sure that he got everything he wanted in life. She gritted her teeth and waited.

“Of Course” he said in a manner that suggested that the answer was obvious. ”You are free to do whatever you wish with your income and invite whomever you choose to live with you. You could establish a Russian circus in your quarters and I wouldn’t care as long as it doesn’t interfere with my life and work.”

The breath whooshed out of her and she realised that there was only one decision she could make now. Straightening her spine, she forced herself to look him straight in the eye “Then I am greatly honoured to accept your offer Lord Stark”.

She had just got herself engaged to Anthony Edward Stark, Viscount Malham and next in line to become the 15th Earl of SHIELD.


	2. Introduction to Lady Stark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First introduction to my Lady Stark

** CHAPTER 1 **

**6 months later**

Lady Finley’s rout was certainly a success Wanda thought from her corner. The ballroom was filled to bursting with glittering specimens of humanity and by glittering she meant that most of them seemed to be draped in gold and jewels enough to fill three Cartiers. And yet, she wasn’t the only one seeking the refuge of dark corners. Little Miss Darcy Lewis was too, hiding behind the great boughs of the orange and lemon trees Lady Finley had filled her ballroom with to create a “garden effect”. To Wanda it looked less like a garden and more like a forest after a hurricane but then again, a new bride without a single ball to her credit had no right to judge.

Miss Lewis caught her eye and smiled before starting to make her way over. Wanda smiled back. She liked Darcy. The only daughter of a doting but impoverished country gentleman, the young girl had a tendency to say and do exactly what she thought which endeared herself to Wanda but had a strangely chilling effect on the ton. Hence the wallflower status.

“The music is lovely tonight isn’t it?” she blurted out excitedly. Wanda nodded smiling. “And it isn’t all hot and stuffy either, it’s actually rather cool. Well not cool, but you can breathe and that’s really an improvement. I mean Lady Almont’s ball was just as crowded but I was half afraid I would suffocate and today that doesn’t seem to be a concern plus the guest list is so much nicer, I mean there are smarter people here than the richer ones, do you know what I mean?”

Wanda’s shoulders shook with suppressed mirth at this typical example of darcyness from Darcy which only worsened at the impossibly naughty look Darcy directed at her. She managed a mock frown. “I do know what you mean dear but I can assure you that _that_ is one of those statements that won’t endear you to your hostess or to any dancing partners”.

Darcy gave a small grin before staring at the dancing with longing and saying wistfully “It’s not as if I have anyone queuing up to ask me for a dance”

Wanda’s eyes softened and she suddenly felt excessively sorry for the child. For all her blunt, forthright manner she was just a young girl looking to enjoy her first season and finding herself being repelled on all fronts. Not for the first time Wanda wished there was something she could do to own her position as Viscountess Malham or Lady Anthony Stark to help Darcy out. Instead due to her own spectacular lack of social skills, shyness in her case, she was now the odd little thing Tony Stark had been forced to marry because Howard Stark had behaved in a disgraceful way. She had heard many versions of the same behind her back, through her “friends” and in some cases, to her face.

“I wish I could do something to help you my dear”. It came out impulsively as she watched Darcy’s wistful eyes follow the dance. Darcy turned to her startled before patting her arm and saying in her blunt way, “You are sweet Wanda but I rather think you are in the same boat as I am.” Wanda let out a sound that was part giggle, part groan.

”I mean, **_he_** is a huge deal, I know” she continued nodding over to the group of people Wanda had resolutely avoided looking at the whole evening. “But I think everyone here knows he married you for your money and that you two aren’t, aren’t….have I hurt you?” Darcy asked gingerly, her face and voice betraying her concern at the sudden frozen look on Wanda’s face. Wanda shook her head hastily reminding herself that part of the reason she liked Darcy was her tactlessness.

“Nonsense!” she said in a voice that was so cheery she hardly recognized it. “It’s hardly a secret is it? And yes I’m afraid I have little to no influence with either him or the ton my dear, I am sorry”

Darcy seemed to accept this to Wanda’s huge relief. Unfortunately it didn’t stop her scrutiny of the group of people Wanda was pretending didn’t exist. “My, but they are a fascinating bunch of people aren’t they? Who is the blonde god? He looks like something Helen of Troy would have no problem lifting her skirts for. “

A horrified choke of laughter broke free from Wanda as she quickly shushed her friend. Darcy rolled her eyes before saying “Fine, I apologize for my indelicate language. But who is he? I have never seen someone look so ….gold”.

“That’s Lord Steven Rogers, Baronet of Brookshire” Wanda answered grudgingly. Realising that her young friend wasn’t going to let this go, she reluctantly turned to face Darcy’s objects of interest, praying with every fibre that they or at least the man in the center of the group wouldn’t notice their interest.

“He looks the prim and proper sort doesn’t he? Do you think if I swanned up and proposed to him right now, he would accept my proposal out of shock?” Wanda gurgled at that. “I’m sorry my dear but he is already taken. See that vivacious looking redhead next to him?” Darcy nodded, pouting. “That’s Miss Margaret Carter, third daughter of the Earl of Kent. They are said to be engaged although they haven’t made any official announcement.”

“Figures,” Darcy said gloomily, “Who are the others?”

Wanda sighed. Darcy wasn’t going to let this go. “The short man next to them with the green eyes is Mr.Banner. A nice young man, not titled but of a good family with a decent income and property. A man of science I believe. The man next to him is Mr Coulson, the Undersecretary for Defense. Married, I’m afraid. The silent rather dour young man is Lord Barton, also married and very well known in political circles. The woman next to him is Lady Natasha Romanov, a widow and a close personal friend of Countess Lieven. And the man next to them with the one arm is The Honourable Captain Barnes, Lord Rogers’s cousin and a war hero”. She swung back quickly.

“How do you know so much?” Darcy asked her in awe. Wanda rolled her eyes before saying dryly” I stand in corners and listen”. “Well I stand in corners too and all I get are empty dance cards. So tell me about him. Is he courting anyone?” Darcy asked eagerly.

Wanda looked at her friend with amused eyes. “Captain Barnes? I don’t believe so. Why do you ask?” she teased.

Darcy blushed before saying candidly “Well he is terribly attractive isn’t he. Those shoulders and that jawline. And also…..” her eyes widened, “Also he is making his way over to us right now.”

Wanda froze. “Alone?” she breathed to an equally terrified Darcy. “What? Oh yes..but why…do you think he wants to talk to me, good god what shall I say, Wanda I’m going to scare him off like I’ve scared everyone off, what should I do?!!”

Recovering her composure Wanda shook Darcy gently. “Hush, just be yourself. I assure you Captain Barnes isn’t anything like the others you have been introduced to. He will like you just the way you are”.

Darcy nodded before grinning and noting that Wanda had seemed even more terrified than her initially. Disdaining to respond to that Wanda turned just in time to face Captain Barnes as he strode up to them and greeted them with a graceful bow and a mumbled greeting before turning to Darcy and giving her a hesitant smile “Miss Lewis, will you honour me with a dance?”

Darcy beamed at him before promptly self-sabotaging herself “I would love to but can you? You only have one arm after all”.

“Darcyyyyyyy” Wanda moaned. Darcy blushed with mortification. Only Captain Barnes seemed delighted as his smile broadened to a grin and he chuckled “For someone so sweet my lady, I think I will manage”. He was rewarded with another beaming smile from Darcy who turned to Wanda and said “You will be alright won’t you Wanda? I see that Strucker guy making his way over to you right now, go have your chat about butterflies with him”, grabbing a bemused Captain Barnes’s working hand and dragging him to the dance floor.

Wanda laughed at the sight before turning to greet her friend of few weeks, Baron Strucker.


	3. Introduction to Lord Stark

“He seems to be having fun”, Steve remarked grinning at the sight of Bucky attempting to dance the waltz with the energetic whirlwind in his arms interfering with his efforts to lead. Peggy laughed her soft musical laugh and tucked her hand into his arm” See, I told you Miss Lewis isn’t like the other debutantes. She is perfect for him. A friend of Lady Starks’s isn’t she Tony?” She raised her voice at the last line making it clear who she was talking to.

Tony merely nodded saying “I believe so Peggy, now may I get back to my fascinating conversation with Mr Banner?”

“Oh I don’t mind, I want to hear what Peggy has to say” Bruce smirked as Tony groaned and wondered loudly as to why he didn’t have better friends. Peggy continued to stick to her course like a battleship in full sail. ”I’m just saying, Barnes didn’t want to introduce himself to Miss Lewis either despite mooning after her for the last two weeks. A little push and now look at him!”

They turned as one to stare at Bucky. Then swung back to stare at a disgruntled Peggy.

“Making an idiot of himself by allowing his partner to lead the waltz while staring dreamily into her eyes with a remarkably silly expression?” questioned Tony sweetly. Behind him Steve was in convulsions and had to be held upright by a grinning Bruce and Barton. Even Coulson’s lips were twitching. Only Natasha kept her eyes on the duo with no change on her signature stone face.

“It’s…that’s how true love looks” Peggy insisted in an extremely unconvincing tone. She hurried into speech to block his retort “Either ways he is not alone is he? Sometimes people have to be forced to do things they don’t want to for their own good. Now look at you! Where are you now?”

“Standing in the middle of a ballroom surrounded by friends?” he queried lazily.

“No.”

“No?”

“No.” she repeated firmly. They were all listening intently now, every one of them grinning, except for Natasha who probably made history if her face so much as twitched.

“You are a lonely man nearing thirty, standing in the middle of a tired old ballroom, attending the same type of ball you have been attending for years now, surrounded by people who have somehow managed to find things in life other than work which gives them real pleasure and you are now looking down at a future consisting of workshops and discoveries.”

Tony theatrically staggered and pretended to swoon into Rogers’s arms. Unfortunately Rogers had been too busy chortling at his fiance’s tirade that he slipped and had to be caught by Romanoff instead which naturally elicited another howl of laughter. Banner and Barton were wiping tears off their face by the time he righted himself.

“No more darling” Rogers gasped clutching his stomach. “Hush” said Peggy, though she too was smiling. ”Now look at your wife Tony”

Six pairs of interested eyes looked on as Tony with his habitual poise turned his eyes to where his wife stood. For a moment Natasha saw his forehead crease before it returned to its normal state as he turned back to Peggy and said coolly “She looks well”.

“Who is that?” Peggy frowned looking at the scene in front of her.

“Baron Wolffgang von Strucker, a cousin of sorts of Princess Esterhazy and in England on a diplomatic mission” Phil answered readily before sighing in exasperation as they gawked at him in awe. “I am the Undersecretary of Defense, of course I know these things you idiots. To answer the question you are about to ask Peggy,” Peggy shut her mouth, “He is in his early forties, was a Professor of Zoology in the University of Berlin, fought against Bonaparte’s army in 1813-that’s how he got the scar, and now lives a quiet life in Berlin as a lepidopterist.”

“Phil, you are a GOD” Peggy breathed, a sentiment echoed by others. Even Natasha was mildly impressed. Only Stark remained silent, his eyes still focused on the couple in the corner, seemingly not paying attention although Natasha knew very well that he had heard every word.

“What on earth is a lepy…lepipodatrist?” Steve asked baffled. “And more importantly, is he a decent chap?”

“Lepidopterist Steve, he studies butterflies. He certainly seems nice but rather awkward, with very little social savoir faire. The type of man who trips over flower stands and gets entangled in curtains and breaks vases and inevitably says the wrong thing. He asked the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne how his wife was doing, to give you an example” Coulson finished with a grin.

Natasha gave a faint smile but didn’t join in the howling laughter her friends were indulging in. The idea of someone asking Melbourne how his deranged wife Caroline Lamb was doing, so soon after the fiasco with Byron was objectively hilarious but she was more focused on observing Lady Stark who was laughing at something Phil’s ridiculous Professor had said.  Apparently Lady Stark liked spending time with middle aged Professors who had scars on their faces, awkward manners and who rhapsodised about butterflies. She was suddenly filled with a wave of exasperation for Stark.

 “You are an idiot” she said bluntly.

He looked at her with his eyebrows raised for a moment before saying in a bored tone, “I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about”. She gave him a look that perfectly conveyed her opinion of his intelligence.

 “You know about butterflies too”. He flicked a speck of his dust off his coat. “Not really, just a few odd details. I find it a rather silly study, not worth my time”.

Natasha could feel annoyance coursing through her veins. Of all their friends Tony had always been the hardest to decipher, his flamboyant rakish persona successfully hiding the real man inside. Even Natasha couldn’t see through him and that both frustrated and filled her with admiration.

“You should talk to her” she stated again in the same flat tone. Despite her inability to understand Stark, she loved him just as fiercely as she loved all her other few friends (numbering less than ten) and she knew he wasn’t meant for the life of loneliness he had chosen with his only relationships being meaningless ones with whores and mistresses. That was her burden, she was the one who had no future ahead of her. And if the only way to give him that was to make him talk to that young girl with the tired eyes, she would do so.

Except it was proving unexpectedly hard as all things concerned with Tony was wont to be. 

“My dear Natasha”, the man began in a condescending tone that sent her hackles up, “The new Lady Stark made her desire to spend her life as far away from mine as possible very clear when I proposed and I assure you that while I may not be the pattern card of respectability, I am still gentleman enough to not want to force an unwilling lady to endure my company.”

“You could be mistaken about that. Look at the fiasco with her guardian” Natasha pointed out.

Tony frowned while Natasha smiled knowing she had hit a mark. That _had_ been a mistake on his part. Originally imagining that the sight of Mr Poston would be pleasing to his supposed niece, Tony had extended an open invitation to the man in question to visit his niece at Stark mansion whenever he pleased for the remainder of his stay in England. It was only after a week that Jarvis by dint of research (or eavesdropping) had alerted him to the fact that Mr Poston was an extremely distant connection of his wife who had been assigned guardianship rather than her own uncle, that he was an uncouth vulgar rascal and most infuriating of all the man had been pressuring Lady Stark for introductions to expand his business in England. Coerced by Jarvis and the other servants who had surprisingly developed a fondness for his quiet young wife, Tony had strode into one such session only to be drawn up short by the spectacle of the so-called uncle standing over a defiant Wanda with a raised fist. After that events had taken an abrupt turn. An enthusiastic young footman with aspirations in the field of amateur boxing was ordered to demonstrate his skills on Mr Poston before escorting him off the premises in an appropriate way and Lady Stark was given the Lord of the manor’s word that she would never have to encounter her previous guardian in any form.

 “Romanoff, even if Lady Stark has somehow mellowed towards me our agreement still stands. This is an excellent arrangement and I fail to see why you keep trying to make this into something it is not. I am getting what I want and I imagine that she is capable of taking care of herself and her life  “. Tony’s voice remained calm but Natasha could detect the edge in it.

“We all need companionship Tony” Natasha said, her eyes darting to where Bruce stood before she sternly closed the lid on that can. She was a lost cause. Tony wasn’t. To her exasperation however, he only looked at her with an amused look before saying in a light tone “I agree. And since the lovely Lady Frost has just walked in I’m off to find mine”.


	4. The Letter

Wanda gurgled as Baron Strucker waved his hands enthusiastically to make a point and nearly knocked a Ming vase off its pedestal. Smiling at the shamefaced man she deftly helped him restore the vase to its original position before gently navigating him into a safer spot.

“I-I do beg your pardon” he stammered. She smiled fondly at him. He was such a lovable man with the temperament of a child. To have chosen him for a diplomatic mission seemed to her to be the height of folly but she put that down to him being German. Her ideas regarding foreigners were vague but the little she had read about them in newspapers had given her the impression that they weren’t terribly bright. Bonaparte had been a surprise to England.

“I’m afraid I’m going to be in bigger trouble by Saturday” he said sadly.

“Oh?” she asked, her curiosity piqued. He looked around furtively before lowering his voice and continuing” Yes-you see I have made the most dreadful mistake. There is a document Lord Melbourne and I co-signed and which I disregarding my lord’s assurances that he will convey it to Lord Palmerston, insisted on carrying it to Lord Palmerston myself. It’s, it’s a treaty of sorts you see and I thought it fitting that the German representative be present at each of the signings.”

He stopped. Wanda looked at him enquiringly at which he swallowed and with visible effort forced himself to continue ”I also possessed a letter, a courtesy letter from the German Premier to your husband, Lord Stark expressing his gratitude for some technology Stark had shared with us. I dropped it off with Lord Stark’s secretary”.

Wanda looked at him with a sinking feeling in her stomach. She had an idea where this was going. The poor wretched man continued “It’s the most unfortunate-I can’t think how it happened-You see I seem to have accidentally dropped off the treaty with Stark’s secretary while keeping the letter with me!”

Wanda mentally banged her head against a wall. Whoever had decided that this man, the man who had once come to an evening party in morning dress was the right person to carry important papers, needed to be drawn and quartered.

“Is it so very important?” she asked carefully. He nodded, his face a picture of misery. “I have thought and thought and I can see no way out. You see I seem to have upset Lord Melbourne already for some reason”. Wanda thought of Caroline Lamb and winced. “And now this! I have humiliated my country” his voice shook. Wanda looked at him, her heart overflowing with sympathy and gently asked “Is there anything I can do to help?”

He lifted his head suddenly and looked at her for a moment, his eyes bright before bowing his head again muttering” Ah no! I could not ask you to do that for me!”

“Do what?” Wanda asked, eager to help “Pray tell me what you are thinking sir, I assure you that I would do anything in my power to ease your predicament”. He beamed at her before lowering his voice and whispering “I don’t think that your husband hasn’t been made aware of the substitution yet as I dropped the envelope off late this evening” Wanda nodded, concentrating. “ I-well-er…..would it be possible…for you my Lady Stark ,to…to effect a substitution?” he hurried on as Wanda drew in a sharp breath. “I believe all of today’s correspondence will be in his study waiting for him. It shouldn’t be too difficult. I…it could have very serious consequences for me you see if this comes to light” he finished, his voice forlorn.

Wanda stared at him, torn. On one hand, what he suggested was unthinkable. On the other, he was a rather sweet man who had just committed a silly mistake. A brave man too, she thought, silently studying the scar which ran diagonally across his face disfiguring what would otherwise have been a fairly handsome countenance. She had known him for nearly a month now and as far as she could make out, he spoke with real passion only when he was describing his butterflies.  He didn’t deserve to suffer for a mistake. He looked at her with imploring eyes and she made up her mind.

“Yes” she said, suddenly and inexplicably out of breath. “I’ll do my best”.

He sagged in relief. “What is the envelope like?” she asked, cutting short his effusive declarations of gratitude.

“Ah! I have to give you details, no? It is a blue envelope with a falcon’s crest on the back. Put it in another plain white envelope addressed to ‘Mr **Brock Rumlow, Pall mall Mansions’** and send it to me as soon as possible by express”.

Correctly interpreting Wanda’s questioning look he hurried to explain –“It is the name of a friend here to whom all my mail is addressed as I stay in England for so short a time and have no permanent lodging. He forwards all my mail to me. Furthermore, when you do find it, open it and on the back of the treaty, which is but a single sheet of paper, I ask you to pencil in my name. It is so that his secretary who forwards my mail, will know that it is for my eyes and my eyes only.” He said looking at her confused face.

Wanda nodded and swallowed. The Baron looked at her with gratitude before lifting her hands and kissing them gently. “I shall not forget this great favour Lady Stark, you have saved my honour”. She let out a deep breath and gave him a shaky smile, concentrating on trying to ward off the pounding in her head.

*******************************************************

Wanda’s heart felt like it may give out at any moment as she made her way along the corridor that led to her husband’s study with trembling steps. Any moment now, she would trip over her own two feet and land face first onto the thick red carpet. She walked faster praying that no servant would come up just now and catch her in the forbidden corner of the house. For the study and the wing in which it was built was off limits to everyone except to a few trusted servants. No one else was allowed in there and now here she was engaging in theft! Her hands shook as turned the handle of the door and stepped into the room that only Lord Stark, his secretary Mr Parker, Jarvis the butler and his wife Ana were permitted to enter.

It was a large masculine room furnished in red and gold. An entire wall had been converted into a writing board which was covered with formulae, numbers and indecipherable squiggles. A massive mahogany desk was placed against the wall directly opposite her. Behind the desk were long gleaming structures which were made of….metal? She swallowed as she realised she was standing in a room where the windows had metal blinds. The space to her right was the most curious however, as the floor was covered with tools, parts of what appeared to be pipes and other odd pieces of machinery she couldn’t identify.

CLANG! The sound of the dinner gong reminded her of why she was here with a start. With hasty steps she made her way over to the desk and rifled through the neat piles of mail that the conscientious Mr Parker had sorted and deposited a short while back. She was just correcting a mistake, she kept telling herself but her mental alarm bells were ringing loudly and insistently and every instinct she possessed was urging her to turn back and go away empty handed. Too late. She picked up the blue envelope with shaking fingers and turned it over to find the falcon’s crest on its back. Tucking it into her reticule she hurried back to her rooms, thanking her stars that she didn’t cross paths with any of the servants.

Reaching the safety of her room, she locked the door quickly before sinking on to her bed and drawing the damned thing out of her reticule. She stared at it for a few moments, guilt and shame gnawing at her.

She had despised Lord Stark instantly when she had first been introduced to him by Lady Rotherham at the Duchess of Queensberry’s ball. On paper he had been the perfect example of an aristocratic wastrel-a man of magnetic charm who was infamous for his extravagant, reckless lifestyle and love affairs. He was of course known to dabble in politics and other scientific pursuits but society was more interested in what new scandal the rakish (but oh **_so_** attractive – the ladies had sighed) young Viscount had cooked up. It had reminded her so much of her father and she had hated him for it.

After marriage however…she had been forced to concede to herself that perhaps, just perhaps some of her assumptions had been wrong. She had spent her whole life in the shadows watching and learning and right after she had moved into her new home in Mayfair, she had realised that her husband was a deeply unusual man with an equally unusual lifestyle. His day began at seven and he spent all of morning holed up in his study with his secretary while a stream of political personalities and government officials visited the premises. Wanda’s maid Jane had already pointed out to her from her bedroom window, the Deputy Minister of Finance, The Home secretary Lord Sidmouth, the controversial Mr Richard Sharp and even Viscount Castlereagh .

At one in the afternoon he would leave for the City where, the servants had told her, he had a factory and a workshop for his experiments. From nine in the evening till the early hours of morning however, he could be seen on the social circuit, alternately scandalizing and charming London’s finest.

What had puzzled her the most had been his attitude towards her. True to his word, he had left her well alone after establishing her in her own set of rooms (which was nowhere near his) and informing her that if she needed anything she could pull the bell. A solicitor, Mr Ross, had descended upon her the next day and within no time at all she had been provided with a generous income of her own, an elderly gentlewoman to act as companion and the realisation that she really only had to pull the bell to get whatever she needed.

On the rare occasions that she had come face to face with her husband, he had been distant but kind in a rather sarcastic, flippant way and most curious of all, genuinely interested in what she had to say. No one had ever been interested in her, her whole life.

And now she felt in some odd way as if she had betrayed him. She swallowed. She was just correcting a small mistake, nothing more, she attempted to reassure herself. Just a silly little mix up.

Closing her eyes she pictured Baron Strucker’s stooping, despondent form. He had been so kind to her. He was the only person she had met in England to whom she had dared to talk about her life in America, Pietro and-and her parents. He had said nothing but she had known that he had disapproved of her father’s part in it strongly. She supposed it was because of his own devotion to his late wife. They hadn’t talked a lot about the late Lady Strucker but the few broken words he had said had made it clear that he had loved his wife very dearly. The poor man.

She sighed and looked down at the envelope in her hands before reaching for a pencil.


	5. A theft has occurred

Mr Peter Parker was one of Lord Stark’s few decisions that had been met with complete and utter delight by the Stark household. From the scullery maid ( ** _Oh, he is a sweetheart, he is_** ) to the great man himself, Jarvis ( ** _Mr Parker isn’t quite as deficient in the upper storey as his predecessors_** )- everyone applauded Lord Stark for his choice of a secretary.

Such unqualified approval had caused Mr Parker to exist in a state of blissfulness convinced that there was no higher happiness than serving as Lord Stark’s right hand man. Until he stood in the middle of the morning room at Stark Mansion , frantically rifling through the papers in his binder and two seconds away from blowing his brains out.

 

Dear God, Dear God, Dear God-.he chanted internally as his hands shook, nearly upsetting the binder and all of it’s contents. After his twelfth search yielded no results Peter was forced to accept that what he was looking for wasn’t there and he fell back onto the settee in a state of shocked bewilderment. How on earth could he have misplaced something so important?!

The door opened and a housemaid entered only to shriek on catching sight of him before promptly disappearing. He vaguely registered her exit but his mind was still grappling with his problem-How on earth could this have happened? More importantly what was to become of him now?

The door burst open again and a group of people, all speaking at the same time, pushed their way through. Leading the charge was Mrs Jarvis who promptly came over to him, brandishing a bottle of smelling salts in a threatening way. Closely following her was Lady Stark, her small pale face set with concern. After them came a whole host of housemaids all of them squeaking at the top of their voices.

“Oh Dear, Master Parker, what on earth has happened to you?” Ana clucked as she waved the smelling salts directly beneath his nose. That did the trick. Gagging at the **_awful_** smell, he struggled to sit up straight, waving away her protests.

“I’m fine Mrs Jarvis, really”, he managed a wan smile. She snorted at that and said “Oh yes, I can see that Mr Parker, you with your face as white as fresh snow and barely able to sit up straight, yes you certainly look **_fine”_**.

“Perhaps Mr Parker would feel better if we cleared the room a little” Lady Stark interjected gently. He gave her a grateful smile at that as Ana looked as if she had just realised that half the household had followed her inside before shooing them off.  “Would you like anything Mr Parker?” Lady Stark continued as Ana slammed the door in the face of a housemaid who had been hopefully lingering outside, “A glass of water perhaps?”

“Water would be nice” he smiled weakly. Ana immediately got up and said “And water you will have ducky, lie down for a minute there, I’ll be right back”. The door closed behind her and Peter was left alone with Lady Stark. Grateful for her sympathetic silence he leaned back into the settee and tried to think things through.

 His career was now in ruins. Lord Stark was the best possible employer a chap like himself could hope to have, but even he couldn’t turn a blind eye to this. He would be turned off. And if anyone did consent to employ him after this disaster, they would probably turn out to be someone like his previous employer who had seen Peter mainly as a replacement for his wife’s late Pug. It had been easier and cheaper for Mr Bedwyn to employ a secretary who could be trusted to listen to Mrs Bedwyn’s steady stream of complaints and offer comfort than let her have a yapping brute who kept getting under his feet and ate more than any respectable dog should eat. Peter shuddered at the memories.

“If I may”, Lady Stark’s low, clear voice broke through his thoughts, “Is there anything I can do to help?” Peter stretched his lips in an approximation of a smile. He liked Lady Stark and he might as well be nice to her as he was unlikely to see much of her as soon as Lord Stark returned.

“I don’t think so my Lady, you see I did something terrible” he replied.

“Oh?” she asked in the same sympathetic tone as she reached to remove the bottle of smelling salts which he was still clutching in his hand for some reason. Bless her.

Peter debated for a moment before deciding to toss caution out of the window. This was Lord Stark’s wife after all. “Yes, you see I misplaced a very important document”

Smash! The bottle slipped from her hand and crashed on the floor, shattering immediately and filling the room with the strong smell of vinegar. Coughing at the noxious smell Peter scrambled to throw open the windows, stumbling back in relief as fresh air surged in before turning to face Lady Stark.

“My lady!” he exclaimed taking in her dead white pallor and bloodless lips. She looked close to fainting although she was sitting bolt upright in her chair and holding its arms in a death grip, her eyes fixed on his face in a dreadful questioning stare.

“I…I’m allright” she managed a ghastly imitation of a smile, “I ….I..I was out this morning and I think-the heat must have been too much. No please!” she said as he moved to the door to send for help. “I’m quite allright, I assure you. You..you were saying something about…about the document you lost?”

“Oh no, I don’t want to worry you with my problem when you are in such a state my lady”, he began to protest but she waved them away. “I am quite allright Mr Parker and I think conversation might help this faint feeling go away” she said, giving him another tight smile.

“If you are sure,” he said doubtfully and seeing her nod he started from where he had left off. ”It’s a letter my lady, a letter Lord Fury sent Mr Stark you see. I could have sworn that I had left it on Mr Stark’s desk last night before I left but today there is no sign of it and I have been racking my brains but cannot think of any way in which I might have misplaced it and Lord Stark is going to be furious with me and I don’t know what to do and I just destroyed my career” he concluded miserably, aware that his jumbled mess of words wouldn’t have conveyed anything to Lady Stark. He couldn’t help it. He was wound too tight to be coherent.

“This letter”, Lady Stark said slowly, “What did it look like?”

He stared. “It was an ordinary letter milady, in a blue envelope with a falcon’s crest on the envelope”.

“You are sure it was from Lord Fur? No one-else?”

“I am afraid not. I read it myself before placing it in Lord Stark’s study” he answered mechanically, too busy contemplating his horrifying future to pay attention to Lady Stark’s questions.

”What happens if it-it falls into the hands of….of someone outside the household?” she asked again.

Peter gave a horrified yelp and jumped up in terror. Good God, he hadn’t even considered that possibility! Even in his worst scenarios, the letter had remained within the Stark mansion. Dear God, Dear God, Dear God, his inner monologue started up again as he contemplated the easiest way to kill himself. “It would be bad then”, Lady Stark said flatly. Bad? BAD?! Peter stared at her incredulously.

“I-yes-it would be a catastrophe milady. It contained a mention of something…..well something important Lord Stark is working on and while it’s only a name, if anyone other than the people who are already aware of this project, and that is a very small group of people, were to get a hold of this letter, not only I but Lord Stark too could be tried and convicted for treason.”

Lady Stark stared at him for a full minute before falling back into her chair in a dead swoon.

“Milady!” he shouted before darting to the door and screaming for help. Smart Parker, very smart, he fumed. Frighten your employer’s wife into fainting by pointing out that her husband could be tried for treason. As a secretary, he was a catch, there could be no doubt about that. ”Mrs Jarvis!” he shouted again.

“Dearie me Mr Parker, I’m coming, stop your shouting now”. He slumped in relief as he heard the sound of Ana’s familiar footsteps coming closer before snapping back to attention as his ears recognized another familiar tread. Good Lord. He was done for.

“Peter! What on earth is happening, my dear fellow? My darling Ana tells me you have been taken ill. I wouldn’t have thought it possible, I have always thought you too infuriatingly competent to fall ill.” Lord Stark asked lazily as he followed Mrs Jarvis down the corridor with his usual catlike grace.

“I-no..it’s not me..Lady Stark has fainted!” Peter said, his voice frantic.

The lazy stride suddenly lengthened and in a matter of moments Lord Stark had overtaken Ana and pushed past Peter, making his way straight to where Lady Stark was lying.

“Water” the command was given in clipped accents as he checked her pulse and breathing before lifting her prone body in his arms and laying it on the settee. Ana bustled forward, loudly exclaiming in dismay as Stark took the water from her and wet his handkerchief before bathing his wife’s face with it.

“What happened?” he asked Peter, his forehead creased in a frown as he looked down at his unconscious wife. “I don’t know sir. She looked a little faint earlier but she told me that that was because of the heat.” Peter said, craning his head to look over Ana’s shoulder at Lady Stark.” And now, we were talking when she - well, fainted. I suppose it could have been of what I was saying………..” he trailed off guiltily.

Tony Stark turned to look at his protégé with a confused frown when the woman in his arms stirred, snapping his attention back to her. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him for a few seconds blankly before recognition dawned. For a moment she smiled at him before her expression suddenly morphed into one of terror.

“My Lord!” she exclaimed and attempted to sit up but he held her down. “Lie down “, he said in a voice that made it clear that he wasn’t asking. “I’m allright” she protested weakly.

“Indulge me” he said shortly before turning to Peter. “Now will you explain what is going on Peter?”

Peter opened his mouth, determined to give a clear explanation and apology before pleading with Lord Stark to keep him on. He took a deep breath and blurted out “Lord Stark, I can’t be a pug again”.

Tony stared at him in silence. Wanda who had heard all about Mrs Bedwyn from Peter before, let out an involuntary giggle. Mrs Jarvis who had been standing beside Wanda, meaningfully brought out a second bottle of smelling salts from her apron.

“I’m sure you have an excellent reason for that, dear boy but I’m afraid I’m still in the dark. Would you care to try again?” Lord Stark asked sweetly, the laughter back in his eyes as he looked at a mortified Peter.

“Yes…I….mean…I did something horrible my lord!”

Tony remained unmoved. ”I’m afraid I’m going to need a better explanation”, he said drily. “Well…that is….do you remember me telling you that you had a letter from Lord Fury’s office?”

“Yes?” in bored accents.

“Well…I don’t understand it but I kept it on your desk yesterday night and now I can’t find it. I have no idea what happened Sir, absolutely no idea” Peter finished frantically. Lord Stark wasn’t looking as furious as Peter had imagined he would be, so he could probably breathe. In fact he was looking more puzzled than anything. Lady Stark on the other hand looked distraught while Ana continued to change the cloth on Lady Stark’s forehead with the unshakeable placidity of those higher beings who cared naught for such trivial matters as affairs of state.

“Was it an important letter?” Stark asked, his face still sporting a puzzled frown. “Oh No sir, just a courtesy letter but-but it did contain a mention of-” he shot a look at Ana and Lady Stark “of the **_thing_** ”.

Lord Stark looked at him with raised eyebrows. “The thing?” he asked sceptically.

“The –er-Iron thing sir” Peter said wincing as realization dawned on Lord Stark’s face.

“Did he merely mention the name or did he discuss details?” Stark asked, his voice uncharacteristically sharp. Beside him a small hand clutched his arm involuntarily, causing him to stiffen.

“Oh no sir, just the name” Peter said shocked at the idea that Lord Fury could be so indiscreet. Tony relaxed at that though the puzzled look didn’t vanish from his face until Peter who had drawn himself up to his full height began talking. “Lord Stark, I’m so very, very sorry about this but I promise you that this will never happen again. I will work twice as hard and twice as long and I will devote every waking hour of my life to-” He was ruthlessly cut off.

“My dear boy” Tony said in an amused voice, “There is no need to threaten me like this. I have no intention of dismissing you for the simple reason that I cannot function without your distressing competence. However if you do carry out your threat of working twice as hard, I’ll be forced to reconsider. There is only so much of your efficiency I can take before I break down” he finished leaving his young secretary gaping.

“Mr Parker said that if this paper falls into the hands of someone who is not involved in this - ** _thing,_** he said…that you could both be tried for treason. Is that true?” Wanda asked hesitantly, unaware that her hand was still clutching Tony’s arm.

Tony cast her and the hand a curious look before turning to direct a sardonic glance at Peter. “I’m beginning to reconsider my opinion of your intelligence Peter. Surely you must know that the odds of that letter making its way out of the house is zero to none? My staff has a multitude of faults,” Ana clucked disapprovingly “But disloyalty isn’t one of them. Stop looking at me like that Ana, locking up my liquor cabinet is a fault. I don’t care if I told them to do so” he finished with an engaging grin at Ana.

“What happened to it then?” Peter asked utterly perplexed. The puzzled expression returned to Tony’s face .He said slowly, “I assume you must have dropped it on your way out of my study this morning and a housemaid must have thrown it in the rubbish heap. After all you do carry a lot of papers in that little horror” Tony nodded to Peter’s binder which he had discarded on the tea table.

Peter nodded slowly. Ana sat up saying briskly “Well that’s that. I’ll be off then Master Tony. Marie and Janet are polishing the brass today and while they are good girls they are not what you might call trained. Master Peter, didn’t you tell me you had to meet someone for lunch today?”

Peter jumped and grabbed his binder saying “Dam…er yes. My Lord we agreed to join Mr Xavier for lunch, we ought to leave now “. Tony nodded saying “Get the carriage ready. I’ll be down in a minute” as Ana hustled Peter out before closing the door firmly behind her.

Wanda waited for the blow to fall with a thudding heart. Tony turned his eyes from the door to look down at her before asking in an uncharacteristically gentle tone “Are you well?”

She stared at his concerned face suddenly feeling close to tears. “I..I…” her voice trailed off, the lump in her throat threatening to choke her. She needed to think. There had been some mistake, she had perhaps taken the wrong letter but no, there had been no other letters of Baron Strucker’s description in the pile of correspondence left on the desk. The only explanation she could think of was that the Baron had somehow messed up again.

“Will this hurt you?” she asked abruptly. “This…this letter. Will you be in trouble for losing it?” Tony looked at her oddly before saying “No-it can’t have fallen into anyone else’s hands so we are safe. And after all only a name was mentioned and you can’t do much with a name”. He looked down into her troubled eyes and said in a softer voice “You mustn’t worry over a trifle like this. Now tell me, are you unwell? Peter said something about you feeling faint from the heat. Shall I send for the doctor?”

Wanda shook her head trying to hold back tears. She suddenly felt an urge to cry her heart out and confess everything to him. Sternly stifling it, she pushed herself to sit up, blushing as she realised that she was holding his arm. Assuming a tolerably composed manner, she removed it.

“I assure you I’m fine my lord. I think I just need to lie down a bit. Please don’t let me keep you from your engagement”.

Stark’s face went back to wearing the same distant, polite expression he usually wore when engaging in conversation with her and he gave her a cool smile as he replied in his lazy drawl “I’m relieved to hear it. I will take your leave now my lady” before standing up, making his bow and leaving the room.

Wanda buried her face in her hands


	6. Masks fall off

Wanda ran her eyes over the crowd once again and sighed in defeat as the person she had hoped to see failed to materialize. The ball was now in full swing and there was no sign of Baron Strucker. Had he not received her message?

After the events of the morning she had gone up to her room, confused and upset. Since her own brain couldn’t come up with an explanation she had dashed off a letter to the Baron, informing him that she had sent him the wrong letter and asking him to bring it to Lady Jersey’s ball where they could hopefully make sense of what had happened before giving it to a boy in the street with a shilling to deliver it to the address the Baron had given her posthaste.

She looked around. Although the season was over and many had already left for Brighton, the room was packed to the full-one last hurrah before returning to the country or going to the seaside. Only a few were staying on in London until parliament opened in December. Wanda spotted Darcy dancing with Lord Levant and gurgled as Darcy caught sight of her and waved too enthusiastically, knocking Lord Levant off balance. Her smile widened when she saw that Captain Barnes had also been privy to the scene and was grinning widely. Now there was a romance.

She jumped when she felt someone place a hand on her shoulder and whirled around only to be confronted by Baron Strucker’s worried face.

”Baron!” she almost cried in relief as she held out her hand for him to kiss. “I’m so glad you are here! The most dreadful thing has happened and…” The Baron held a finger to his lips before saying urgently “We have much to discuss but first we must go somewhere more private. Will you follow me please?”

She nodded mutely as the Baron started walking towards the little ante room adjoining the ballroom. It was empty and he opened another door which led to a passageway. He beckoned her to follow him and started walking down the passage. Wanda followed him, quickening her in order to keep up with him. It would be a tad difficult to explain to Lady Jersey that she had got herself lost in in her house.

Finally, after traversing through a small hallway and a staircase he opened the door to a room which Wanda recognized was the library.

“I think we might speak freely here” he said, turning to face her. Dimly she noted that his stoop had disappeared and that he was standing a little taller than he normally did but she shrugged the thought away impatiently. She had more important things to worry about.

“Baron, I must tell you something most dreadful has happened. The letter, well the letter you spoke of wasn’t there and I sent you the wrong letter which happens to be a terribly important letter!” She tried to look at him but he had turned to stoke the fire with the poker.

“Good Gott!” he exclaimed, still facing the fire. “But then what do you wish to do?”

“I have been thinking” Wanda continued frantically, “I think I might be able to return it, for at present they think one of the housemaids must have mistook it for rubbish and thrown it away. I could place it behind the door and they would just assume that it had blown there. Do you have the letter Baron? I must take it back with me tonight”

“I have it”, he said turning to face her. Wanda sighed with relief. “But I’m afraid I cannot give it to you Lady Stark”.

He smiled. Wanda stared at him. The man standing in front of her bore no resemblance to the Baron Strucker she had known. That man had been a stooping, kindly man with a shrinking, nervous manner and a shy look on his face. The man she saw now stood straight and tall, oozing confidence with his lips twisted into a smirk throwing his scar into prominence and wearing an expression of malice.

“My dear child”, he cooed in a deep baritone quite unlike his usual reedy accents, “I’m afraid I have shocked you a little bit. I assure you I will return this little letter but I need you to do something for me first”.

Wanda could only look at him dumbly as the world spun around her consuming her with a need to vomit all over the deep blue carpet.

“Oh nothing much I assure you. You see this letter mentions a project your husband is spearheading called the Iron man Project, a British military project. All I need you to do is get me the blueprints and every piece of information you can lay your hands on concerning it.” The smile broadened. So sweetly was the request made he might almost have been inviting her for tea.

“You are mad” she croaked out, grabbing the back of a chair to steady herself. His smile widened.

“Oh no, not mad Lady Stark, just a devoted soldier for my cause”.

“Your cause?” she asked hoarsely, although the answer was blindingly clear. “Bonaparte’s cause I presume?”

He smirked. “You **_are_** quick on the uptake.  Although I’m afraid you fell for my lepidopterist act hook, line and sinker”.

“Don’t remind me” Wanda gritted out through clenched teeth. Confusion and horror had given way to a blazing fury. “However you seem to be equally stupid in supposing that I will help you after knowing that you are a traitor to my country. What on earth makes you believe that I am going to do anything else other than marching out and exposing you for the cowardly scum that you are?”

“Ah” His eyes were positively glowing with delight.

 “I would strongly advise you against doing that. You see if you don’t help me, this letter will end up in Calais within the next few days and the Emperor’s intelligence will be told that Lady Stark is helping us spy on her husband. And since **_I_** know for a fact that one or two of them are actually paid by her Majesty’s government I have no doubt that your Home office will be made aware that Lady Stark is a traitor. Your nationality won’t help you either. An American joining the Emperor’s cause is rare but not unheard of.”

“They won’t believe you” Wanda said in a distant voice feeling suddenly very cold. This had to be a nightmare and she would wake up from it soon.

“I’m afraid they will my dear lady”, he said smoothly, “I also possess an envelope addressed to a gentleman in your handwriting, a Mr Brock Rumlow who I’m afraid is known to the British intelligence as a man who has been selling information to the French in order to pay off his gambling debts. I have been reliably informed that preparations are under way for his arrest”.

Wanda stared at him in horror.

“You would sell out your own men, just like that?” she questioned him her eyes blazing with contempt.

The Baron shrugged elegantly. “There are disposable assets in any venture. He knows nothing of significance anyways and he certainly knows nothing about me. He merely serves as a drop point. As for you, well….I also possess what I believe the English calls damning evidence-your signature on the back of the letter in question. Er..do you see the position you are in ?”

She saw. Oh she saw. Clever, clever so fiendishly clever! She had played right into their hands, falling for his ridiculous act and stories and crucifying herself in the process.

He saw from her face what she was thinking and laughed. “I must admit, your marriage to Stark was incredibly fortunate for us. We have spent two years trying to infiltrate his household with no luck at all and then you come along like a gift from the heavens. A little digging into your history told us all we needed to know about you and after that it was as simple as plucking a ripe fruit”.

Wanda felt sick. She remembered her conversations with this man and all of the little ways in which he had gained her trust and sympathy was suddenly made clear. Dear Lord, what a fool she had been!

Summoning all her courage she lifted her chin and met his gaze squarely. “I refuse” she said in a trembling voice. “I may be branded a traitor but I won’t sell out my own country”.

Surprisingly he only laughed. “Loyalty. How very sweet. But my dear child surely you aren’t silly enough to assume that you will be the only one to suffer the consequences of your actions?”

The cold had now seeped into every pore of her body. She waited for his next words like the condemned waiting for the hangman’s noose helplessly.

“While your husband’s reputation might shield him from the accusation of having aided and abetted you he will still be punished for gross negligence. He will be shamed and will have to retire in disgrace from society and his work.”

Wanda could only stare at him, the roaring in her ears growing louder while the squeezing, **_aching_** pain in her chest muddled with conscious thought.

“And that’s not all”, the Baron continued, his face glowing with malice “Pietro. Dear, dear Pietro whom you love so much. Once it gets out that his sister is a traitress, well…I’m not sure if even the London slums will take him in.”

She couldn’t move. Panic consumed her as she realised that she couldn’t make her limbs obey her.

He tutted. “Dear little Wanda, you look positively haggard. We are generous you know, we will be giving you enough time to accomplish your goal. Parliament opens in November and you have until then to get us what we want. Four months is quite enough for something so simple.”

Simple. All she had to do was betray her husband and her country, steal secret military plans from her husband and deliver it into the hands of this fiend at the end of four months. How very simple. Hysterical laughter bubbled inside her.

He was looking at her almost fondly now. She shuddered. His eyes lit up with something she couldn’t define and he said, “I can offer you an incentive now if you wish”, before grabbing her and forcing his mouth onto hers.

Gut wrenching terror consumed her. She clawed at him blindly, twisting and turning to push him off of her as he held her head between his two hands in an iron grip. Her hands found their way to his head and she pulled on his hair with all her strength forcing him to utter an exclamation of pain and loosen his grip giving her enough time to stumble towards the door. He yanked at her dress tearing her sleeve and she whirled around to sink her teeth into his hand. She stayed only long enough to hear him howl in pain before shoving him aside and making her escape.

She ran like she had never run before, terror giving speed as she stumbled down the staircase, praying with all her heart that she was going the right way. Giving a sob of relief at reaching the little hallway, she pushed the door open only to collide head on with a hard, solid object which had been standing on the opposite side of the door.

“Wanda!”

She knew that voice. Relief flooded her as she collapsed into her husband’s arms. She was safe now.

She felt him swing her up in his arms, muttering something she couldn’t make out to someone beside him before he started moving. She felt that she should protest at being carried but she felt too tired, too weak to say anything and instead chose to bury her face in his coat. Just a few minutes and she would face the world but for now she was so, so tired…...

She opened her eyes slowly to find her husband’s stern face looking down on her. He looked worried, she thought dazedly although she couldn’t remember why he would be.

“You must be intent on setting some kind of a record” he said grimly, “Two episodes of fainting in one day is certainly remarkable”.

Memory flooded back. The letter. Baron. Dear Lord.

“Hush,hush”, he hurried to pull the garment lying on top of her to better cover her when she started to shiver. His coat, she realised. He had wrapped her in his coat. ”You are safe now, everything’s all right”.

Safe. She looked at him in mute despair. She was the farthest thing from safe and it was entirely her fault. He looked back at her, the worried look becoming more pronounced as her shivering grew worse and the pounding in her head forced her to close her eyes.

“Is she allright?” a cool, feminine voice asked. Wanda’s eyes snapped open and she turned her head to identify the source of the question. Her heart sank when she did. Lady Emma Frost, the toast of the season stood behind Tony in all her golden beauty coolly looking down on her. Lady Frost, the dashing young wife of a much older and doting husband, whose angelic looks had littered St.James Street with broken hearts. Lady Frost who had apparently been closeted alone with her husband in a private room. Lady Frost whose hair looked dishevelled and lips looked swollen and beestung.

“I beg your pardon!”

Horrified, Wanda struggled to sit up and pushed at his restraining hands, apologies and excuses spilling out of her mouth. ”I do apologize, I…mistake, I must go, so sorry-”

“Emma” the word was said quietly but with decision. “Leave us.”

 

Lady Frost looked at him for a second before nodding and turning to leave.

“Oh and Emma?” She stilled. “I would rather you forget meeting Lady Stark”. Lady Frost nodded once more as she exited the room closing the door behind her.

Wanda who had managed to sit up realised that she was in the ante room next to the ball room. She could hear the strains of a waltz and idly wondered if Darcy was dancing with Captain Barnes.

“Now” Tony said, turning to face her from his position on the floor where he was kneeling next to her sofa “What happened?”

She met his eyes mutely. What could she say? She was caught in this trap, as helpless as a fly entangled in a spider’s web and she had no idea what to do or say. Despair crashed over her as the utter hopelessness of her situation sunk in.

He looked at her steadily, his face dark and forbidding. “I’ll rephrase” he bit out, “Who was it?”

She stared at him in horror then fury as the implications of his question dawned on her. The audacity of the man! To suggest that she was-she was some common lightskirt while he himself was prancing about with every woman he could lay on his hands on-she nearly growled.

Eyes flashing she lashed out. “Are you daring to imply that I had arranged some kind of an assignation with another man?!”

He looked startled before quickly denying her accusation “Good Lord no, I didn’t mean that”.

She looked at him, her anger ebbing at his refutal. “You didn’t?” she asked weakly, her voice very close to tears. He looked at her with a softened face before hesitantly reaching out to take her hands in his own. Tears started streaming out of her eyes as she felt his hands close over hers causing his face to darken even more.

“What happened?” he asked again, gently.

She shook her head silently as tears continued to fall. She seemed to have no control over them .He tried again.

“Who hurt you Wanda?”

 She shook her head again. Every fibre in her wanted nothing more than to tell him the truth but she knew with a devastating certainty that she couldn’t. She couldn’t risk her Pietro’s life.

“Did he hurt you ….badly?” Tony asked in a voice that made it clear what he was asking and which also said that he wouldn’t be answerable for his actions if the answer was yes. She shook her head again.

“I bit him” she confessed in a wobbly voice “He let go of me at that and I pushed him down before running”.

Tony’s face looked thunderous. “Give me a name” he demanded, “Or I will turn this place upside down right now and when I find him, which I will, I will strangle the bastard with my own two hands”. The tone in which he made this pronouncement left her in no doubt that he meant every word of it.

Deep, heaving sobs spilled free from her mouth and she bit down on her knuckle to muffle the ugly sound. She was tired, frightened and so completely drained. Her body shook with the force of her sobs as she cried and cried, crushed by the helplessness of her situation. Dimly she was aware that his arms had come around her and that he was rocking her back and forth whispering into her hair praise and reassurance.

“Hush now, hush, you are safe, you were so brave, Wanda, so brave. You are safe now, I promise, nothing is going to happen to you, hush there, there there”.

“I want to go home” she sobbed out, “Take me home please, just take me home”.

He patted her back gingerly before nodding “I will send for the carriage”


	7. Tony does some introspection

Tony poured himself a glass of whisky and flopped down into a chair with a loud curse. He couldn’t make head or tail of anything at all. To make matters worse a nagging suspicion that had been niggling away at his brain ever since the wedding had now taken firm hold and was dominating his thoughts.

A soft cough alerted him to the arrival of the person he needed the most to solve this particular puzzle. “Sit down Jarvis” he said with visible relief. “This is going to be a long conversation so you might as well pour yourself a drink”.

Tony gazed into his glass morosely as Jarvis pulled out a bottle of Tony’s best Scotch and proceeded to denude it of its contents. Scotch. Jarvis was definitely intending to say a few things to Tony whether he wished to hear it or not. He better start the opening fire then.

“Help me out here Jarvis” Tony said abruptly. Jarvis took a seat opposite Tony and looked at him with an inquiring eyebrow. Tony gritted his teeth and ploughed on.

“Four months ago I married an independent, sophisticated heiress who seemed well able to take care of herself. What I want to know is what happened to her?”

Jarvis’s gaze travelled from Tony’s face to his feet and back again with the expression that had never failed to make Tony during his er..colourful years feel as if he stood no higher than the ground and which even now made him shift uncomfortably in his seat.

“You wish to know what happened to this person that you described?” Jarvis asked in a voice of deceptive calm.

“Ye-es” Tony faltered but carried on defiantly.

“It’s quite simple Master Tony, she never existed”.

“What do you mean she never existed? Dammit Jarvis I married her!” Tony nearly yelled. He could and did withstand lectures on his behaviour from Jarvis but his cognitive functions were beyond reproach, thank you very much.

Jarvis however remained calm. For a man who had chased down a naked screaming toddler Tony Stark down the driveway this was peanuts.

“I beg your pardon Sir but you married a scared young woman who had apparently led a very secluded life and while she is an extremely charming girl she is quite unequal to the task of negotiating Society on her own”. Jarvis finished, confirming Tony’s worst suspicions.

“But her uncle assured me she was used to managing everything on her own!” Tony almost wailed. He hadn’t bargained for this. He could plan an entire city, he could churn out designs to improve agricultural production, he could keep the Generals happy by designing faster ships and better transport services but he was the last man in the world he would entrust with a naïve young girl.

“By Uncle I assume you mean the gentleman who attempted to assault Lady Stark sir?” Jarvis’s voice was dangerously sweet. Tony sank back into his chair with a groan. Good Lord what a coil.

”If that bastard has lied to us about that, then it is conceivable that everything else he told us was a lie too. Which means I am married to a woman I know nothing about apart from what Rhodey sent me and even he seems to have got some things wrong because he assured me that Mr Poston was her mother’s cousin and a botanist” he said dully.

“That I fancy was a misunderstanding Sir. After their parent’s death Miss Wanda and her brother were indeed sent to live with their mother’s cousin, a Mr Henry Poston who was a botanist. But he died after a few years and a distant relation of sorts, who is the Mr Poston _we_ saw, inherited his estate and upon being told that Miss Wanda and Master Pietro stood to inherit a significant fortune when they attained their majority, he elected to take over their guardianship and informed her lawyers of the same. When Mr Rhodes made his enquiries it is possible he was told that the Maximoffs were under the guardianship of a Mr H Poston and assumed it was the same Mr Poston into whose care they were first sent”.

Tony groaned and banged his head against the desk. And again. And again.

“Rhodey had time enough to send me fifteen letters advising me against the marriage because of one ridiculous rumour but he couldn’t be bothered to do the barest amount of investigation and find out that the man who was looking after her wasn’t even remotely connected to her? And just what sort of lawyers did she have?!”

“Mr Rhodes was merely concerned for your welfare Master Tony. As for Miss Wanda’s solicitors they seem to have been more concerned with her financial issues than for her well-being as a whole. I imagine they must have been relieved when they were informed that they need not find another guardian for the children” Jarvis sniffed. Tony briefly contemplated sending Rhodey a missive instructing him to target and destroy the respectable firm of Morgan and son’s before dismissing it. They were no longer relevant as his own lawyers had assumed control of the Maximoff’s fortune and anyways Rhodey wouldn’t do it. Besides he had bigger problems.

“What do we know then Jarvis? “

“Well sir she doesn’t talk much about her parents but I gather it wasn’t a very happy life. She seems to be very attached to her mother’s memory and dislikes her father which in light of **The Incident** doesn’t make sense” Jarvis said in a puzzled voice.

Tony answered slowly, “It does when you realise that she and her brother were told that it was an accident. They were too young at the time to be told the whole truth”.

And no one bothered to tell her later?!” Jarvis asked in horrified accents.

 “It’s like you said Jarvis. That guardian of hers must have kept them cloistered away and it was to his advantage that she remained ignorant of the true facts, of course. I should have known that he was a liar when he told me she didn’t know how her parents died. If American society is anything like London society she would have known within five minutes of stepping into a ballroom” Tony said ruefully.

Jarvis snorted. “An idiot could have seen how inexperienced she was, the moment he set eyes on the poor child Master Tony”. Tony winced. 

“First the poor child barely manages to hold a conversation with Lady Jersey”

“I thought she was being haughty” Tony protested weakly

“Then she nearly gets drawn into Mrs Anningham’s wretched set”

“I thought she was being silly” Tony mumbled

“Then the reprehensible Mr Moonham manages to strike up an acquaintance with her”

“I thought she welcomed his attentions” Tony said, sinking fast but still game.

“And then, ** _then_** her name gets bandied about as a title hunting mushroom and you do nothing!”

Tony’s defence collapsed and he visibly wilted in front of Jarvis’s glare. Jarvis then proceeded to hammer in his last nail. “And when anyone but a complete imbecile would have recognized that that child is nothing but a mere babe in the woods, you leave her alone for the sharks to prey on and tonight happens. Master Tony everything that happened tonight was entirely your fault!”

Tony didn’t bother to try and defend himself against this last salvo because he knew that every word that came out of Jarvis’s mouth was true. The thought that his wife needed his help had crossed his mind on more than one occasion after their wedding, not the least when he had seen her woefully inadequate attempts to repel Moonham, one of the ton’s more notorious roués who had somehow worked up the audacity to try and ingratiate himself with Tony’s wife. **_That_** had been quickly taken care of but he had dismissed the warning bells clanging in his head and had left Wanda to her devices. Even Natasha had seen the problem the moment she saw Wanda and had spent months trying to get him to step up and take care of it but no, he hadn’t wanted anything to distract him from his life and work, he hadn’t asked for this new responsibility, he hadn’t wanted to take his wife around, introduce her to a few decent people, dance with her a little and help her consolidate her standing in the ton. Instead he had tossed her into the shark pool and expected her to fend for herself with the result that she had ended up ostracized by the cream of society and hounded by the worst and that had culminated in tonight when some unscrupulous bastard had attempted to take advantage of her naivete and inexperience.

Tony’s hands balled into fists at the memory of her sobbing, terrified face. Jarvis looked at them for a second before asking “Do you know who it is, Sir?” Tony shook his head. At that moment he had wanted to hunt the creature down and throttle him but getting Wanda home had trumped all other instincts.

”She didn’t say”, he swallowed, “Not one of her friends I think. After Moonham I have been keeping an eye on her friends and apart from the Strucker fellow she doesn’t really have any friends of the opposite sex”.

“It seems unlikely.From her conversations, I gather her fondness for the Baron stems from his resemblance to her uncle. The real one” he added at Tony’s quick glance “His credentials have been verified of course?”

“He arrived with dozens of introduction letters from Austria. I’m told Esterhazy was beside herself with joy at the sight of the long lost cousin “Tony said drily.

“That seems to rule him out then”

 Tony frowned. Wanda had flat out refused to give him a name and Jarvis had warned him against pressing for more information. For the life of him he couldn’t understand what had just happened. That the ton was populated with unscrupulous characters was something he knew, but that one of them would have the nerve to assault his wife was beyond comprehension. He said as much to Jarvis.

“Perhaps they thought it wouldn’t matter to you” Jarvis said blandly making the sick queasy sensation in Tony’s stomach flare up. “After all you have hardly made a secret of your disinterest in Lady Stark” he finished, twisting the knife in such a way as to cause Tony maximum pain.

With a weary sigh Tony closed his eyes and let his head fall back. His instincts were trying to tell him something but at present all he could make out was gibberish. There was something, something out of place, something he felt like he ought to know but couldn’t quite get at.

“Will you take my advice Master Tony?” Jarvis asked abruptly, interrupting Tony’s tangled thoughts. Tony quickly sat up. Advice was good. Advice was what he needed now most of all. “Lord yes” he replied.

“Take Lady Stark and retire to the country till Parliament begins” Jarvis said with decision. “Give her some time to find her feet. You can continue your work there and some time together might help the two of you to come to a better understanding”.

“Jarvis I’m not going to take her to SHIELD. I’m not sure if you remember this but Howard threatened to disinherit me if I married her, remember?” Tony gave a disgusted huff at the memory of that last encounter with his father. Howard had towered over him, his face bright red and spraying spittle and had shrieked imprecations laced with profanity at him ending with a threat to disinherit Tony. Apparently Howard had also done his research on Tony’s prospective bride.

Tony’s lips twisted. If his calculations proved right, by the time Howard would do the world a favour and die Tony would have built a fairly decent fortune of his own. Perhaps the shock that one could make a profit without building weapons might be what would eventually kill his thrice damned father.

“I didn’t mean SHIELD”, Jarvis, who had been privy to the aforementioned scene, said primly. “I meant the manor home at Leicestershire”. 

Tony sat up straight. He had a small piece of property at Leicestershire, one of the few that he had purchased in his name before his father had cut him off, the **_jackass_** , and it would be perfect for what Jarvis had suggested. Relatively isolated, it was a place Wanda could rest and get her bearings and he himself had made sure when he bought the place to install a workroom there similar to the one he had in London.

“Jarvis, you are a genius!” Tony cried, springing to his feet. “We will leave day after, no tomorrow itself. Get Peter to make all the arrangements and tell him he is coming with us. You and Ana obviously, you know what, let’s just take everyone. There is probably only a caretaker at Leicestershire anyways. Tell Ana to stock up on everything, her ladyship needs feeding- she has been looking peaky and the last thing I want is for her to fall ill. Should we get a doctor too?”

“A-Hem!” Jarvis interjected firmly. “I suggest you start by informing Lady Stark of the same, Master Tony. If…and **_only_** if she is amenable, I suggest we leave by next week.”

Tony opened his mouth to protest at this unnecessary delay to this brilliant plan which had clearly been entirely his idea but was cut off again by the only man in the world who took no nonsense from Lord Anthony Edward Stark.

“Unless you would like to inform Ana that she has to transport an entire contingent of servants and finish packing for a four month stay in a short staffed country house by tomorrow?”

Decision made.


	8. A new start

Wanda stared out of the window determined not to miss a single detail. They had been travelling for almost a day by now and her first view of the English countryside had been enthralling enough to almost drive all thoughts of her predicament out of her head. Almost.

She had sat up the whole night, dry eyed but unable to stop her body from shivering, turning what had transpired over and over in her head and desperately trying to come up with a solution. I am a traitress, she whispered to herself unable to believe just that. A traitress to the Crown who if found out would be executed without mercy. After all, being incredibly, terrifyingly stupid wasn’t a defense.

At one in the morning she had decided to go to her husband and confess everything. Fear however had won in the end and she had rejected that particular course of action. While a part of her insisted that Tony Stark would do everything in his power to help her out, there was another, larger more logical part which informed her coolly that what she had done to Stark was pretty much unforgivable and far from helping her, he was more likely to have her and Pietro clapped in irons. And while she was more than happy to check herself into the nearest prison voluntarily, she would do anything in her power to make sure that her brother remained untouched by scandal. Even commit treason.

Even if Stark did believe her what could he do? She had put him in danger along with her. If not for being an accomplice he would definitely be punished for negligence. There would be other consequences too. She hadn’t spent six months in London society without realising how quick it was to shun anyone they deemed unworthy. Stark could potentially lose everything. Strucker’s words played in her head like a dirge at a funeral.

She swallowed. That was what she was going to do, wasn’t it? That was the only thing she could do to protect her darling little brother. The only other option which had seemed viable was to put a period to her existence and even then there was a good chance Strucker would follow through on his threat out of sheer spite. She had seen the hate in his eyes when he had talked about Stark. And she had no doubt that the idea of humiliating and destroying Stark was something that Strucker and his friends dreamed about.

Treason. Her tongue felt dry and heavy and she swallowed again. The ever-present pounding in her head ramped up the tempo. Treason. An ugly word and an ugly act. And yet here she was, Wanda Maximoff, a girl who had desired nothing more than a quiet life with her brother, on the threshold of betraying her country. Hysterical laughter bubbled inside her and she made a sound that was halfway between a choke and a gag.

The noise caused the other occupant of the carriage to open his eyes and look at her with a concerned frown. She fought the urge to look away, guilt roiling in her stomach.

“Are you allright?” he asked gently, the first words he had uttered since he had handed her into the carriage that morning. In all fairness however, the lack of conversation had been more her fault than his. She had turned away from him as soon as the carriage started moving and had determinedly stared out of the window in a desperate attempt to avoid conversation. To his credit he had taken the hint and had passed the time reading a book before falling into an uneasy doze.

She nodded in reply to his question, not trusting herself to speak. She had an uneasy feeling that if she did attempt to speak she would only end up crying her heart out on his coat.

“We are nearly there. Hopefully Mathews will manage to get us home before sundown” he said with a small smile as he leaned past her to look through the window. She was abruptly aware that his face was only inches away from hers, close enough that she could make out the faint shadow of a beard on his cheeks. His coat sleeve brushed against her and she could smell him, a sharp, sweet scent rather like him. That was what Tony Stark was, she thought absently. A stinging breath of fresh air-exhilarating but unsettling at the same time.

He shifted trying to get a better view and now he was so close, she could feel the heat radiating off his body. Feeling unaccountably shy she wriggled back in her seat, attempting to put some distance between herself and the man leaning over her. The movement didn’t go unnoticed and a deep crimson flush stained her cheeks as Stark turned his head to face her with a knowing look on his face. Irritation joined confusion and she had to suppress the urge to smack the smirk off his face.

“Something bothering you?” he asked in honeyed accents.

She gritted her teeth and continued to stare out of the window causing his grin to broaden. In a desperate attempt to change the subject she asked the first thing that came to her head. “This place of yours-is it part of the SHIELD lands, my lord?”

“Lord no” he answered easily, thankfully willing to let her off the hook.

“I saw it on one of my visits to a friend of mine, Lord Barton and I felt it was positively crying out for me to take possession of it. So I contacted Pep and within two days I was the proud owner of Stark tower. Well it’s called Rowe Manor or something like that but I call it Stark tower”.

Wanda blinked. Apparently her husband bought country estates like the average person bought groceries.

 ”Pep?” she asked hesitantly. Her husband who had picked up his book again looked up with an expression of incredulity.

“Didn’t I tell you about Pepper?” Wanda shook her head mutely. Stark looked positively horrified.

“Pepper, Lady Stark, is the general manager, the factotum, the all-in-all, the guardian angel of Stark enterprises and its owner who is yours truly and is pretty much the only reason for its existence. In fact, the idea that you have not yet been made aware of her existence gives me the vapours” he shuddered theatrically.

“She, my lord?” Wanda was uneasily aware of the formation of an uncomfortable little knot in her chest.

“She. Pepper, Happy and I grew up together” Stark replied fondly. “Happy was the squire’s son and my right hand man and I was the reigning terror of the land but Pep was the quiet doctor’s daughter who kept us both in perfect order”

Wanda nodded, the knot in her chest growing larger. There was no mistaking the adoration in Tony’s eyes when he talked about this…Pepper. Silly Wanda, she chastised herself. She had no business behaving like a debutante fresh into her first season. She was a woman who had bigger problems.

“Of course she still does the same job.” Stark continued his reminiscences, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. “Difference is, she has official titles now- Mrs Happy Hogan who is also Tony Stark’s woman-of-affairs”

The knot dissolved only to be replaced by a soaring feeling making her lightheaded. The logical part of Wanda’s brain threw its hands up in despair and attempted to continue the conversation.

“The Bartons are our neighbours, my lord?” she queried. Stark looked startled again.

“It’s Tony. And how do _you_ know the Barton’s?” he asked, racking his brains to make sure that he hadn’t accidentally introduced her to Clint and then forgotten all about it.

Wanda blushed again and said in a stifled voice

“That is....well-your circle of close friends isn’t very large so I tend to pick up on…details regarding them”. She attempted to lift her chin and project an air of calm confidence.

He on the other hand cast a measured look over her and then leaned back saying in a voice devoid of all expression ”Enlighten me then. What do you know of my friends and the people I am ‘close’ to?”

She stared at him defiantly. The man was taunting her. Very well she would show him. She took a deep breath and began.

“Lord Barton, I believe you met during the war. He was a sniper in Major Rogers’s unit and is known to be a very good one, probably the best in England. He is married and has two children with a third on its way which is why Laura Barton didn’t accompany him to London this season, for they seem to be a very devoted couple.

You are fond of him and while the two of you have very little in common you both have a healthy respect for each other which indicates that you have worked together in difficult circumstances, the most probable scenario being that you fought together during the war.

Lord Rogers is a major in the army and a widely respected man on track to being a General which I think will be easier after his marriage to Lady Margaret Carter. In contrast to your general fondness for Lord Barton, you seem to both admire and dislike Lord Rogers simultaneously.

I’m afraid I cannot tell you anything about Lady Natasha for she is the most opaque person I have come across in my lifetime but from your attitude towards her which seems to be a mixture of fear and admiration I think she is a fairly formidable person. There is then the Duke of Asgard, Thor Odinson who seems to be very fond of you and you of him although I don’t think you like his younger brother very much. And finally there is Mr Banner, who I think you are closest to which is not really a surprise as the two of you share similar interests and he seems to balances you out very well. How well am I doing my lord?” she finished triumphantly, her eyes daring him to reply.

Silence. And more silence. The satisfaction that she had felt at attempting to one-up her husband started to ebb. Had she just offended him? Her relative lack of acquaintances in London and her own natural shyness had caused her to fall back into what she normally did-hide in corners and observe people but what if he thought she was just another snooping gossip?

“You behold me stunned”

Wanda’s eyes shot up to meet Stark’s face and relief filled her as she caught the admiration in his eyes. He wasn’t laughing at her nor was he angry at her. A small smile formed on her face drawing an answering smile from him.

“You got Steve wrong though. I don’t dislike him, I’m just annoyed by him. Sometimes.”

Wanda cocked her head inquiringly. She looked rather like an inquisitive bird when she did that, Tony thought amused.

“Oh? Why?”

Tony rubbed the tip of his nose and considered his answer. ”Steve- he sees the world in black and white. This is good, this is bad. That person is a good man, that person is a bad man. Life isn’t like that. Life is almost always grey and all men are capable of both great good and great evil according to me”.

Wanda nodded. Her eyes darkened. He had no idea how right he was.

“Forgive me for asking but how on earth do you know so much?” he asked, intrigued.” I could be wrong but I don’t think my friends and my relationship with them are a source of gossip. The size of my fortune certainly is, and so are several of my er-habits but I assure you no one has ever discovered so much about me or sized me up as well as you just did”

Wanda blushed. It had been a long time since someone had complimented her for something. She beamed at him causing him to cock his head and look at her with an emotion she couldn’t quite describe.

**************************************************

Tony observed the flush on her cheeks and the smile with fascination even as he attempted to tamp down other, inappropriate-for-the-occasion feelings. She had a lovely smile, his inner voice pointed out unhelpfully. It lit up her face and turned those dark mournful eyes into something indescribably beautiful-sparkling, laughing, hazel pools transforming her face from its usual serene Madonna like state and giving it a vibrant, bewitching _,_ irresistible beauty. He was suddenly glad that she hadn’t bothered to smile at him before or during the wedding because he had a feeling that if she had, he would have spent his wedding night prowling outside her bedroom door like a lovesick puppy. As it was he casually dragged a cushion over his lap and crossed his legs. Better to be safe than irrevocably embarrassed for life.

“Has no one ever told you that your powers of observation are quite exceptional?” he asked, attempting to hold on to a light casual tone. Suave Tony, suave –he sternly instructed his brain. Unfortunately his wife chose to give an even bigger smile at that causing his hypothalamus to go into overdrive. He clung to his cushion grimly. The universe with its usual impeccable timing had decided to alert him to the fact that his wife was an immensely beautiful woman in a closed carriage on a journey which would take atleast two more hours to come to an end. Damn you, universe. Dear Lord, she was blushing again.

Wanda beamed at him before shaking her head and saying shyly, “No, you see I don’t really know anyone in London and I spend my time-well doing this. Watching people. Not for any particular reason, I-I-it’s rather like a game. It helps pass the time” she finished rather uncertainly, certain that her face by this time was resembling a slab of raw red beef.

Tony was fairly sure that the rather unusual taste he could feel in his mouth was a combination of guilt and bitterness. Jarvis had been right when he had told him that he had behaved reprehensibly. Abandoning his wife two minutes into any social activity the Starks had been required to attend together had seemed a brilliant plan when he had known next to nothing about her but the more he learnt the more he realized that his behaviour had been worthy of a first class arse.

“What about Miss Lewis?” he hurried into speech in a desperate attempt to ease his conscience. Miss Lewis was a friend which meant that his wife hadn’t been totally alone. Way to grasp at straws Tony, he mentally applauded himself.

“Darcy?” Wanda smiled fondly making Tony irrationally jealous of Miss Darcy Lewis. He must have hit his head fairly hard sometime in the last couple of days. That was the only explanation for all these ….feelings.

“Darcy is a dear” Wanda said, “But she is a debutante and has to attend a host of events .When we do meet, we don’t get to spend a lot of time together. I’m afraid her aunt who is sponsoring her doesn’t approve of me very much.”

It wasn’t totally a lie. Darcy’s aunt’s feelings towards Wanda were less disapproval and more of the feelings one might have towards a cockroach but there was no need to express it in those terms Wanda thought, firmly unaware that her face was currently doing an excellent job of conveying her thoughts to the man sitting opposite her.

“Doesn’t approve of you?” the question hung in the air like the slash of a whip although he hadn’t raised his voice even by a decibel. Wanda shivered slightly, suddenly reminded that this man for all his lazy grace was also someone who commanded great respect from people generally thought to be running the country.

“Why ever not?” he asked again in the same light tone which practically flashed the word **Danger** over and over again.

“I-it is an open secret that you married me for my money and my less than noble connections too contributes to my image as a –well as a title hunting mushroom” Wanda shrugged, too well inured to the insults to actually bring herself to care.

Fury coursed through Tony. He clenched and unclenched his fist unable to trust himself to speak, angry at himself for his short-sightedness and callous neglect, angry at the moronic sheep who populated London’s ballrooms and enjoyed the amenities provided by those less fortunate but a thousand times better than them, idiots who judged people on the basis of wealth and connections but chose to completely ignore ability and character.

“Are you allright?” Wanda’s soft voice broke into his mental tirade and he looked up to find her watching him warily. Rearranging his facial features into what he hoped was a more welcoming look he gave her a tight smile and nodded.

“Perfect, thank you. I was merely contemplating turning in my title and all of its accompanying paraphernalia before leading a republican revolution and toppling the fat idiot in Buckingham palace and all of his friends” he said, not entirely joking. Wanda let out a sound that was mixture of a horrified gasp and a giggle but involuntarily lifted a hand to his lips in an effort to hush him. If Royal disfavour could lead to the fall of even so exalted a personage like Brummell, she didn’t even want to contemplate what it could do to them.

Tony who had by now gathered that Wanda’s face could practically speak for her grinned behind her hand. “Georgie can’t throw me out sweetheart, I’m way too valuable”.

Her hands were callused, he observed idly. Very unlike the hands of a society heiress. Yet another thing he had missed. He seriously contemplated removing the word _genius_ from his description of himself.

Wanda having apparently just realised that her hands were over his lips, jerked them back, the blush making a reappearance. He hadn’t thought it was possible that someone could blush more than Rogers but clearly he had married the one person in the world who could. Resolutely he pushed away all speculation concerning the extent of the blush (he adjusted the cushion a little) and turned his attention back to the more pressing matter at hand.

“I’m sorry” he said baldly. An apology which was clearly six months too late but hey as Ana would say, better late than never. Of course she would probably say it after hitting him on the head repeatedly with a kitchen ladle while Jarvis stood by and watched with satisfaction but she wasn’t here right now and he could conveniently ignore her.

“Whatever for?” Wanda asked, her eyebrows contracting. Tony waved his hands about in a vague attempt to convey what he was feeling before giving it up and deciding to stick with words. He might convey a completely different meaning when he used words but atleast he would convey some sort of a meaning.

“For throwing you to the sharks like that. For not taking good enough care of you. For not helping you out. For letting people think…things”. He winced. Things? Perhaps Barnes had been right when he had said that the worst thing Tony could do in Parliament to further his agenda was open his mouth. Casual, meaningless conversations? Step aside for Tony Stark to dazzle. Things that actually meant something? Tape his mouth shut immediately.

“You needn’t be” Wanda said bluntly. Tony looked up at her in surprise. He wasn’t used to having his rare apologies tossed aside like that. If anything the prevailing complaint was that he didn’t apologize enough.

Wanda pulled ahead, her eyes resolutely fixed on the floor. “You can’t control how people think. As for the rest, well that was never part of our agreement. You gave me what I wanted and anything more would be an imposition on you” .She swallowed.

Right. The agreement. The agreement he had made when he had been furious with Howard. The agreement he had made with a person who had turned out to be a completely different person. The agreement which had been met with general disapproval from everyone he gave a damn about .Steve had been right when he had half-laughingly begged Tony to not take any major decisions without consulting either Jarvis or Steve. Yes he was really going to remove the word _genius_ when he introduced himself to a stranger.

“I think we need to forget about the agreement and start anew”.  

Wanda looked up at him startled.  Tony ploughed on. It was time to start telling exactly what he thought rather than continue this dance that they had been doing for the last six months.

“Let’s just-let’s just be two friends trying to work out a way to living together. We can figure out the remaining things later” he added hastily. Because really, there was only so much a man could handle at a time.

Wanda stared at him the worried look in her eyes becoming more pronounced. Fantastic, he had scared her off. Jarvis, I have messed up again, he thought bitterly. And for Christ’s sake why on earth did her eyes always look so tired anyways? When he had first laid eyes on her, his first thought had been that this was how Anne Boleyn would have looked before laying her head down for the executioners axe.

“Allright”

The word came out of her mouth in a defiant whisper. She was pale but was certainly sitting up straighter than she had been before. He blinked. Very well then. Leaning forward he extended a hand and said “Tony Stark, too charming for his own good, inventor extraordinaire and until recently self-described genius”. A huff of laughter escaped her causing his grin to widen.

“Wanda Stark, part American er-sister to Pietro Maximoff and -well that’s it” she trailed off with a shy smile and a shrug.

“You forgot master spy” Tony quipped only to blink in surprise when his wife suddenly turned deathly pale.

*****************************************************

Colour drained from Wanda’s cheeks. Spy. She was building trust with a man who she was going to betray in four months. The ever present nausea made its way back up her throat. She looked up to find him watching her with concern, the laugh quite gone from his eyes.

“It’s nothing” she said shakily, attempting a smile and feeling like Judas even as she did so. “I-the motion of the carriage sometimes makes me nauseous. Conversation helps distract me”. Well she wasn’t too bad a liar, she thought dully.

He looked at her in an assessing manner before dragging a small bag lying in the corner of the seat towards him. She watched puzzled as he rummaged around it before bringing out a single object. A lemon. She could have laughed if she wasn’t so close to tears.

“I have been told it helps” he said with a lopsided grin. She was suddenly overcome with an urge to hug him which she sternly quelled.

“So where did you learn your mind skills?” he asked in a blatant attempt to distract her. Wanda hesitated before squaring her shoulders and opening her mouth. She might be a bare-faced liar but she would offer this man who was treating her so kindly, whatever honesty she could.

“When my parents died, Pietro and I were entrusted to the guardianship of one of my mother’s relatives. We called him uncle but he was really more of a cousin” she began. Tony nodded.

“Was he nice?”

 “He?” Wanda smiled.

“He was a very dear man. A botanist. Really, he was the epitome of the absent minded scientist trope but he was sweet and good and whenever he remembered that Pietro and I existed he would try and give us little treats-carriage rides, sweets, things like that” Wanda gurgled at the memories.

“There was never really any money and Mrs Johns and I (she was the only servant in his establishment) had to think up creative ways to put food on the table and clothing on our backs but it was a happy existence. Peaceful.” She smiled fondly.

“And then?” Tony asked, his eyes trained on her face.

The smile disappeared. “He died when I was fifteen. No one else was willing to take us on for some reason until some distant connection who had heard that we stood to inherit my mother’s fortune turned up at Mr Morgan’s office”.

“I assume this is the gentleman who I had the misfortune of knowing as your guardian?”

Wanda nodded. Her eyes had turned dark again. “He got guardianship but Mr Morgan…he had neglected to inform him that we would only inherit the money on the occasion of attaining our majority or in my case, on my marriage. It – it wasn’t pleasant when he found out”.

Memories of a meaty fist swinging at her flashed through her mind and she found herself breathing a little harder. A hand came up and covered her own clasped hands, warming her. Swallowing, she continued.

 “He put us in an institution for the care of destitute children till I turned eighteen and would send a cheque annually. It- it wasn’t a very nice place and well…that’s where I learnt to listen-you know, my mind skills” She tried for a smile again.

Growing up in New York’s slums during her adolescent years had necessitated that she keep her eyes and ears open so that she could distinguish friend from foe, know which of the new inmates to avoid, which to actively seek out and bring up her brother in a manner just barely respectable. That she had escaped with both her virtue and soul intact she regarded as nothing short of a miracle. Recalling the leering eyes and the rare drunken banging on their locked doors at night, she shuddered.

“More and more I find that I seem to have been lamentably stupid these last six months “Tony remarked lightly. “I should have killed the rat-bastard myself rather than ordering James to teach him a lesson”

A deep warmth suffused Wanda. Despite his light tone, she knew that he meant what he had said and that for some reason made her ridiculously happy. She couldn’t quite remember feeling this way before and for a moment she couldn’t pin down the feeling.

Safe, she finally realised. He made her feel safe and protected. They might only be barely-there friends but for some reason, she knew right down to her bones that he would do his level best to protect her from harm, whether that harm came in the form of a spider or a typhoon. “Thank you”, she said in a voice that she barely recognized. “Thank you.”

Tony said nothing but the grip on her hands tightened. She stared out of the window again, tasting bile. The one thing he couldn’t protect her was from the consequences of her own stupidity.


	9. A friendship is established

Jarvis walked into the workshop and sighed. Evidently Master Tony had decided to spend the night lying half on the chair and half on the floor. Again.

Huffing at the disarray that met his eyes Jarvis picked his way through bent metal, wires, stacks of books, something that looked like a cross between a cannon and a coffin and made it to the lamps which he proceeded to light without mercy. An agonised yowl brought a satisfied smile to his lips. Mission accomplished.

“Jarvis!” The word vibrated with anguish.

Jarvis merely tsked and continued in his task of creating order out of chaos. The desk he would leave for Master Parker. He was a brave man but some things he simply could not face. Having managed to restore the room to some semblance of order he turned to face his charge, ready and prepared to do battle.

Which was more than what could be said of the master of the household. Certainly the elegant hostesses of London would have difficulty recognizing the polished, debonair Viscount in the bleary eyed, grey faced apparition who looked like he had spent the night in a graveyard. For the umpteenth time Jarvis sighed and wondered where he and Ana had gone wrong when raising the boy.

“Master Tony, you positively cannot continue like this. Get up, go upstairs and make yourselves presentable, then start walking towards the morning room where breakfast has been served” Jarvis said sternly as Tony blinked owlishly at him.

“Jarvis it’s ten in the morning” Tony whispered in a voice that suggested that he feared for Jarvis’s sanity. “No human being is awake at ten in the morning”.

Jarvis gritted his teeth and in a voice as loud as he could make it, replied “I beg to disagree _sir_. Most human beings are both awake and fully functional by mid-morning. Lady Stark for instance rose at seven, had a walk, attended the birth of a foal and is now dressed and waiting for you in the morning room”.

The speed with which Tony got to his feet was almost comical. “She is waiting for me?” he asked incredulously.

“Well, not exactly “Jarvis amended watching with interest as Tony’s shoulder’s slumped. “But she is having breakfast and the polite thing would be to join her and give her company. If I had known that you were going to immerse yourself in your work and ignore her the exact same way you did in London then I would never have suggested coming to the country at all” Jarvis sniffed. Tony to his credit looked shamefaced and moved to the door without protest while Jarvis closely followed him, intent on getting his infuriating charge to look marginally normal before Miss Wanda finished her breakfast and left.

In a miraculously short time a washed, brushed and decently clothed Tony was shoved inside the morning room by a militant Ana causing the only occupant of the room to look up from her plate in surprise.

She was looking extremely charming, Tony thought absently as Jarvis manhandled him into a chair and proceeded to pile his plate with what he assumed was food. Though given Jarvis’s current mental state and the lecture he had treated Tony to upstairs, it could well be a pile of strychnine laced horse shit. Which would be easy to obtain since he had just been informed by Jarvis upstairs that he was apparently breeding horses because Pepper had decided that horses were a good investment. Aware that his thoughts were straying he attempted to focus but his brain refused to cooperate. Might have something to do with the bottle of scotch he had downed yesterday.

A sharp poke in his back caused him to jump and look up to meet Jarvis’s threatening glare. Belatedly remembering his instructions Tony attempted a smile.

“Good morning” he said refocusing his attention on his wife. She wasn’t strictly beautiful, he thought critically looking at her surprised, serious face, but there was something very attractive about her, something elusive that he couldn’t exactly name.

Unfortunately Wanda chose to smile back at him with a murmured greeting causing him to rethink everything he had just thought. This was probably what they meant by witchcraft he thought, blinking in confusion-one moment he had a dignified young woman sitting in front of him, the next moment she had disappeared and a wood-elf was smiling shyly back at him.

Another hard poke recalled him to his senses. Clearly Jarvis was on the warpath, Tony thought with a mental roll of his eyes

“So-have you been well?” He winced, immediately regretting his words. He could practically feel Jarvis cringing behind him.

“Well?”

Wanda looked startled. Wonderful. His wife thought he was a man incapable of basic decency. You abandon someone to their own devices for a whole week and suddenly you are a boorish clod. It didn’t matter how true that sentence was, it was completely untrue. Aware that Jarvis was holding the butter knife in a threatening manner, Tony hurried into speech.

“I mean…the country, it’s not exactly London. Must have been boring. I…well, apart from wasting your time what else have you been upto?” he joked weakly before closing his eyes in despair when he realised that he had just insulted her. In front of him Jarvis swung the knife at the slab of butter in much the same way an axe murderer would swing his axe at his intended victim. Even the three footmen in the room swivelled their heads to look at him with a mixture of pity and judgement.

Wanda looked at him, her eyebrows raised but with an almost imperceptible twitch at the corner of her lips. “Well since I have spent my time walking around the property, speaking to your few staff, getting updates on your racing stables from the head groom since he has been unable to get a hold of you and talking to your bailiff for a whole day, I think I have managed to keep myself fairly busy”.

Tony blinked. Jarvis coolly pushed his buttered toast towards him. One of the footmen let out a highly suspicious cough. Ana who wasn’t bothering to hide that she was hiding outside the room was apparently whooping.

“I see” Tony began slowly, feeling both impressed and aggrieved. Why on earth were all the women in his life so incredibly competent? If he didn’t have an ego the size of the British Isles he could potentially have self-esteem issues. See Jarvis, it was a good thing that he was an egoist.

“You seem to have been busy and I seem to have been an idiot” he finally said with a rueful chuckle. Wanda gave him a triumphant smile making him feel inexplicably proud. Happy was a good look on her. Recalling what she had told him of her life before him, he abruptly felt glad that Jarvis had dragged him out of his workshop. “You don’t need to talk to the bailiff and the others though. Pep handles all of that, you can send them to her”.

The smile disappeared immediately and he watched in confusion as the ice-maiden reappeared. “Certainly, I have no wish to intrude” she said in chilling accents.

“No!” The word burst from Tony causing her to flinch and he immediately softened his tone, feeling inexplicably panicked. “I only meant- I just wanted you to enjoy yourself. I didn’t want you swamped down by these boring duties that’s all. If you enjoy them you are more than welcome to continue to administer the estate. You _are_ its mistress after all”.

The smile was back causing relief to flood him. He refused to examine why he felt so relieved.

“I do like them” Wanda confessed. “It’s lovely to have something to do again. London can be so, so-”

“Mindnumbing” Tony finished for her. Dimly he was aware that Jarvis and the servants had left the room but at present all he could focus on was that he and his wife were somehow, miraculously sharing a moment of complete understanding.

For a moment there was silence as Wanda applied herself to her breakfast and Tony pondered the strange turn the day had taken. ”What are you going to do today?” he asked, for some reason unable to look away as Wanda attempted to wipe off some honey which had dribbled on to her chin. She stiffened at the question but Tony was too busy charting the course of that stray drop which had made its way from the corner of her lips and over the dip in her lower lip to nestle in the dimple of her firm little chin to pay any attention.

“I was hoping” she started in a thin, high pitched voice, “I was hoping to spend some time with you in your workshop today”.

Tony’s head snapped up. “You want to spend time with me in my workshop?!” he exclaimed, certain that he had heard her wrong. She held his stare, her eyes filled with something he couldn’t understand. That she was nervous was obvious from the way she was breathing faster (Tony studiously kept his eyes above her neck) and the tremble in her hand as she laid down her napkin. But there was something else, something he couldn’t categorize. He realised for the first time that there were too many things like that when it came to Wanda, too many things which he couldn’t fit into a labelled box.

“Why?” he asked blankly. No one wanted to hear about the finer details of his work except for a few like Bruce and Xavier. People wanted the Tony Stark who was charming and sarcastic and funny, not the Tony Stark who spent days down in a room filled with machinery and books, completely immersed in what would probably be gibberish for ninety percent of the human race.

“I just thought that it would be nice to spend some time together and understand a bit more of what you do. I’m afraid I do not know much about what you do but what I did hear by listening in on some of your conversations with Mr Banner sounded fascinating”. Wanda gave him a tight little smile which didn’t quite reach her eyes.

If Tony had been paying attention he would have noticed that the colour had quite gone from Wanda’s face leaving it pale and bloodless and that her hands were gripping onto the table so tightly that her knuckles had turned white, but he was too busy making sense of what she had said.

Fascinating. Wanda thought his work was fascinating. A large smile grew on his face and he made no attempt to tamp down the pleasure that was blooming in his chest.

“You listened in on my conversations with Bruce?” he asked smugly, quite unable to stop grinning like an idiot. Wanda who was for some reason was sitting in an unnaturally rigid manner blushed and muttered something causing his grin to widen.

She had eavesdropped on him. Which meant that she was interested in him. Well his work, but same difference. He had spent these months thinking that she had wanted space from him but instead she had been observing and listening to him. A pang of regret smote him. Jarvis was right, he had been an idiot.

“I’m afraid I can be rather difficult to handle when I work. I tend to not talk at all and resent interruptions” he said suddenly worried. Even Jarvis had conceded that he was quote, insupportable, when he was buried in his workshop and he definitely didn’t want Wanda to see him like that. She gave a nervous laugh at that and answered in a rather unsteady voice “I can imagine. However I shall bring down some letters I have to write and I think we can get on comfortably”.

********************************************************

 

Wanda looked round the room she was standing in with a mixture of awe and disbelief. She had thought Tony’s study to be strange but this-this looked like something out of a fever induced dream. The room was actually just a gigantic underground cellar. Tony had had the walls demolished and thereby converted the network of cellars into one enormous room. The entire room was lit with gaslights similar to the rest of the house. A system of pipes and vents circulated fresh air in the room while roaring fires burnt at either end of the room keeping it pleasantly warm. One end of the workshop had a divan and a desk similar to the one she had seen in his study with a few chairs dotted around it. That was the only part of the room which looked civilised. The rest of the room was filled with objects that ranged from things that looked like something that one might see at Astley’s to things that looked like they belonged in the Tower of London.

There was something that resembled a spade which kept scooping mud from a trough and depositing it in a bucket next to it. Something else looking eerily similar to a bathtub with bits of metal stuck onto it chugged away in a corner.  There were other strange pieces of machinery next to it. 

Another corner of the room was composed of glass tubes, glass boxes, jars and jars of strange liquids and powders. A bundle of copper wires lay on the floor. There was a large glass bowl bubbling away in a corner containing what appeared to be some sort of a blue liquid. A sudden image of Tony dressed in a pointed hat and holding a broomstick stirring the pot popped into her head and she chuckled.

“You approve?” Tony stood next to her with his hands shoved into his pockets, his face sporting its usual bored expression but there was a tenseness to it that didn’t escape her. The knowledge that he was nervous only heightened her pleasure. She beamed at him.

“It is magnificent” she said sincerely.

The careless manner was dropped immediately and the suave aristocrat transformed into an overexcited schoolboy who grabbed her arm and proceeded to drag her around the room. In a span of ten minutes she paid her respects to a steam engine, a combustion engine, a turbine and what was described to her as a sewing machine. The glass jars and boxes were introduced to her as “experiments in electricity” followed by a lengthy explanation, none of which made any sense to her and she was treated to the sight of what Tony confidently promised her would revolutionize the way they travelled eliminating the need for horses.

Half laughing, half amazed Wanda followed, attempting to keep up and process the torrent of information assaulting her ears. Names like Volta (he made portable electricity!), Davy ( a genius, a bloody genius),Faraday( he is going to change the world) were interspersed with  words and phrases like  cell, current, electromagnetism and comparative advantages of gas engines over steam ones.

“I know electricity” she piped up causing Tony to stop his excited monologue and look at her. “Benjamin Franklin talked about electricity”. She hadn’t thought it was possible that Tony’s smile could get any wider but at that he positively beamed.

“Precisely!” he whooped causing her to giggle. Never till that point would she have thought to see such a sight- a coatless, cravat less Tony Stark bouncing on his heels with no sign of the bored air and lazy elegance that normally characterised him.

“I have been boring you” he said contritely. She shook her head immediately at that. “Not only is this the least bored I have ever been, this is also the most interesting place I have ever been to in my life”. He beamed again causing Wanda to cosh the sane, logical part of her brain into unconsciousness. A dashing, elegant Tony Stark was dangerous but could be ignored. The exuberant young man in front of her with the smear on his cheek and shirt half untucked, was irresistible.

“This” she said pointing to where the machines stood “and that”, she pointed to where the glass and wires and liquids stood, “seems to me to be two different things”.

“Well they are and they aren’t” he replied, grinning at her as if Christmas had come early this year. ”I’m trying to find a way to run the machines we have now on other forms of energy. Steam engines are taking over and while it’s a welcome development, they aren’t safe or very effective. And while it may take years to harness electricity, we can at least achieve a transition to gasoline.”

“Machines running on electricity?” Wanda asked doubtfully. It seemed a little farfetched. Tony merely gave her a cocky smile .“We have gas lights now. No one thought that would happen. One day we might have electric lights”.

Wanda gave up. He seemed to see a world she couldn’t see, visualise things that to her seemed outside the probability of reality. She supposed that was what genius was. “Well I won’t keep you from your work. I will get started on my letter” She moved to the divan.

“A letter to Miss Lewis?” he asked in an extremely casual tone, following her apparently to make sure that she could sit down without help. “Oh no” Wanda replied absently, digging in her reticule for her pencil. ”To Pietro. It’s been almost a week since my last one”.

“Oh” Tony slid into a chair, all concern for Wanda’s powers of locomotion gone. “How is he?” he asked with genuine curiosity.

“Well he evidently set fire to a Master’s coat tails last Monday and released a lizard into his classroom by accident so he seems to be in his usual spirits. Ah!” Wanda smiled in triumph as she got a hold of her pencil. Quills were unwieldy and the first thing she had done once her allowance had been approved was to go out and buy one of these.

“How do you release a lizard into a classroom by accident?!” The exclamation made her look up to find her husband regarding her with a fascinated eye.

“He didn’t mean to release it, or at least that’s what he wrote to me. A friend of his evidently told him that a lizard’s tail will grow back if you cut it off and they caught one to test that theory. Unfortunately the lizard escaped and went up the house master’s leg”.

Tony stared at her for one pregnant moment before dissolving into laughter. Wanda blushed and laughed too, realising that this was the first time she and Tony had talked about Pietro. The realisation warmed her.

“It’s partly why I must write to him” she said gaily. “It sounds funny but it also leaves me sick with worry as to what punishments they are giving him. You see, he was very young when our parents died and I have never really tried to discipline him. Which is probably why he is such a holy terror” .She gave a rueful smile.

 “He sounds like it” Tony observed, his eyes glinting with laughter.

“Yes well, Eton won’t be as easy on him as I’ve been and while that’s good for him it also worries me”

“He will be fine” he assured her. “But if you like I can drop a word in the Headmaster’s ear”.

Wanda dropped her letter and gaped at him. ”You will do that?” she asked in a hushed voice, unable to quite take in what he had just said.

“Of course” he replied easily. ”My brother-in-law’s wellbeing is a matter of importance to me”.

Wanda stared at him, the knot in her throat growing bigger with each second. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes. Shame engulfed her, guilt and shame and she struggled to keep the tears at bay.

Tony’s eyes turned concerned and he lifted a hand to her face but she waved him away. She couldn’t bear to be touched now, especially by him. His face darkened but he said nothing, instead choosing to stand up and give her a small nod.

“I’ll leave you to get on with it then” the words came out slowly. She nodded, still fighting tears. He was halfway across the room when he turned his head and asked her tentatively “We could maybe-go out on a picnic tomorrow? I’ve been told the lake is beautiful this time of the year”.

A picnic. One more way to ingratiate herself into this man’s life so she could find it easier to stab him in the back when the time came. She hadn’t thought it was possible to hate oneself so much.

Throat tight she nodded again. “That would be lovely”.


	10. A picnic

 

“Jarvis seriously, not the red waistcoat. When I want to look like a bawdy house pimp, I’ll tell you”

Jarvis grumbled under his breath as he dragged a blue coat over Tony’s shoulders.

“It’s a picnic Master Tony, not the Queen’s ball”. Tony predictably remained unmoved by the rebuke.

“Where is Lady Stark?”

“Downstairs in the armoury” Jarvis replied, struggling with the coat. Why men wore clothing which tried to stick to their skin, he would never know. Tony stilled.

“Armoury?”

“Yes, Ana is showing off your various accomplishments “

Accomplishments. Tony’s face darkened. He had spent ten years of his life on what he had thought had been a way to help humanity progress before finally realising that all he had achieved was to help people with power kill the defenceless.

 “Didn’t I tell you to clear out that room and dump all of its contents on the rubbish heap?” he demanded irritably. Jarvis merely flicked some dust off Tony’s coat before replying in his usual measured tone.

”You did and I chose to ignore you. Because” he continued, forestalling Tony’s interruption, “Because someday you will want to revisit those memories and I’m keeping it for when you realise that you aren’t responsible for every death that occurred because people used your weapons. I understand why you chose to end _that_ line of work Master Tony and I support you, but I also believe that your work did save lives and therefore should be honoured. Yes it was used for the wrong purposes by the wrong people. But there are British soldiers today who are alive because of you which makes me very proud of you _and_ everything that sits in that room, so don’t you tell me to throw it out like it’s something to be ashamed of!”

Tony looked at Jarvis with a mixture of exasperation and fondness.

“Always trying to defend me, even from myself eh Jarvis?”

 Jarvis finished fixing his cravat and sniffed. ”Always sir, that’s my job. Now get downstairs quickly, you don’t want to keep Lady Stark waiting.”

“Will she like it?” Tony asked quietly. Jarvis looked at him in exasperation. This was probably the fiftieth time the boy had asked this very question.

Correctly interpreting his look Tony flushed and mumbled “I just want this to be something she will enjoy. It’s sort of an apology for everything ranging from her guardian to all the things she had to put up with at London”.

“She will love it” Jarvis promised. “And if it makes you feel any better, James the footman assured me that he might have been a little too enthusiastic on Mr Poston with the result that when Mr Poston left he had about six broken ribs, two black eyes, a broken arm, a dislocated shoulder and most probably a damaged kidney”.

Tony let out a shout of laughter.

“Jarvis, in addition to raising James’s wages three fold you will also convey to him personally my deepest gratitude and admiration. Inform him this too-if he ever needs a sponsor for a career in boxing, he may count on me”.

Jarvis twinkled before giving him a light push “Now go on with you, you are already over an hour late”.

***********************************************************

“What do you think?”

Wanda gazed at the sight in front of her with a sigh of pleasure. ”It’s lovely” she declared.

They were both sitting underneath an enormous oak situated on a grassy bank which stood at an elevation from the lake and the sight which met her eyes was enough to please even the most fastidious nature poet. The morning sunlight glinted off the lake’s cool blue waters causing it to sparkle in a most delightful way while its effect on the surrounding vegetation was to transform them into clumps of brilliant golden-green.

“I have to admit, this was the extent of my brilliant plan. I arranged the place and the lunch but I forgot to plan what we would be doing the next two hours”. Wanda giggled at the sight of Tony’s mock frown and gave him a mischievous little smile.

I’m sure you will be able to come up with another lecture”.

Tony grinned. “I knew I’d bored you” he said ruefully.

Wanda clucked in annoyance at that. “Since I have repeatedly assured you that that is not the case I am going to start doubting your powers of hearing if I hear you say that one more time. It is fascinating to hear you talk and see the things that you make and work upon. In fact, just this morning, Mrs Jarvis was showing me the prototypes of the most famous guns you designed”.

The smile slid off Tony’s face immediately. There was a moment’s silence as Wanda cautiously observed Tony who appeared lost in unpleasant memories.

”Why did you stop? “

She could have bitten her tongue out at the question. Why on earth had she asked that? Anyone with half a brain could have realised that this was a sore subject but no, she had to poke the bear.

“It had been coming on for some time”.

She looked at him, startled. She had been expecting a set down not an answer.

“I made them because that’s what Howard had brought me up to do and that’s what I was good at and for some reason I thought I was helping the world by making them. But I had already started to see that instead of protecting us, they were being used in places like India and Africa to terrorize the local people into slavery”.

Wanda frowned, puzzled. She had always thought that slaves existed because that’s how God had willed it. That was what she had been taught. This was a new point of view.

Tony continued “I had started to slowly move away but then the war happened. “

He broke off a blade of grass and started to tear it into smaller pieces, his face dark. “I headed the manufacturing division for weaponry but sometimes I would also be sent to some of our ally nations to deliver plans or teach them how to build my technology. A few years ago I was sent to Russia with Barton and Barnes to deliver plans for a new, advanced type of gun.”

Finding that he had destroyed his bit of grass beyond reparation, Tony discarded the pieces and broke off another blade.

”What happened there?” Wanda asked, a sick feeling in her stomach. Tony let out a strangled laugh.

”We never made it. Ambush- on the way. Barton managed to escape but Barnes and I were dragged off someplace where I was ordered to construct the gun for them. When I refused…they tortured me”.

Wanda stared at him in horror. She had heard horrifying tales of the barbaric treatment Bonaparte’s soldiers had meted out to enemy combatants and the idea that Tony-laughing, careless Tony had been subjected to it made her want to strangle someone with her bare hands. On an impulse, she placed her hand over his, causing him to stop pulling at the stupid grass.

“Uh-they didn’t get anything” he continued, his eyes resolutely fixed on the ground although he made no attempt to push her hand away. ”I held out. They tried everything they could but I held out. Then they turned on Barnes.”

Wanda tightened her grip, concentrating on keeping the contents of her stomach down. Tony’s eyes were glimmering but he still went on in the same robotic voice.

”It was worse, much worse than what they had done to me. They used things I had designed according to the specifications provided by the British government on Barnes, again and again and again, stopping only when he fainted from the pain. I tried begging, I tried bluffing but they were very well informed. They knew all about my ongoing projects, the people I worked with and a great deal of information which only the Home Office was supposed to know. Everything I did failed. Finally they shot Barnes’s hand off right in front of me”.

Wanda was dimly aware that tears were rolling down her cheeks but she couldn’t bring herself to care. She lifted her hand off his own shaking ones, causing him to look up before wrapping both her arms around him. She didn’t care what he thought of her conduct, she didn’t care what anyone thought, she didn’t care if she was demolishing her dignity by doing this, she didn’t care what lines she was crossing. All she knew was that the man in front of her was hurting and she wouldn’t stand for that. Damning every one of those monsters to hell she held him tightly, attempting to will the memories away.

There was silence for a moment. Wanda waited until Tony’s breathing had evened out before whispering “How did you escape?”

“Clint found us. He had managed to reach Russia where he had joined forces with Natasha who tracked us down. I don’t really remember what actually happened but I remember some vague images of Natasha’s face and Clint yelling. The next thing I know I was back in my bed in England being terrified out of my wits at the sight of Fury’s glaring face when I opened my eyes.” Tony gave a ragged laugh.

“After that I shut down everything. Fury and Howard were both screaming at me from opposite sides but I didn’t give a damn. It was something I had to do”. The last part was said part defiantly-part pleading.

“I understand” Wanda said simply. And she did. He didn’t have to explain anything to her.

Tony relaxed causing her to notice that she still had her arms around him. Blushing bright red she hurriedly disentangled them and moved to introduce some space between them. He said nothing but there was an added warmth in his eyes when they looked at her. That and something else.

“Most people would be upset that their husband had left a lucrative career behind to start dabbling in electricity and farming” he said in a light tone. Wanda rolled her eyes.

“Most people would be stupid to label your work as _dabbling_. I’m a relative novice but even I know what it means when Lord Melbourne comes to visit. “ Tony made a derisive sound.

Studiously ignoring him and his lack of respect for their Prime Minister Wanda attempted to make her point “What I mean is, the Lord probably has marked you out for greater things”.

“You believe in God?” Tony asked, eyebrows raised. She looked at him, shocked. “You don’t?”

He flashed her a brief smile. “I’m not sure”.

There was silence again. Tony looked like he was trying to solve a particularly puzzling problem. Wanda hesitated for a moment before taking the plunge. She had promised herself honesty after all. “I’m not very fond of guns either” she stammered out.

Tony, who was by now, stretched out on the grass with his hands clasped behind his head turned his head to face her, a questioning look in his eyes. She met them bravely, her throat clogging up.

“My parents died in an accident involving a gun. It went off when my father was cleaning it killing him and injuring my mother. She died of septicaemia a few days later”. She kept her head down and stared steadily at her clasped hands.

He didn’t say anything for which she was profoundly glad. She didn’t want to hear expressions of shock or sympathy or pity. She just wanted this, this quiet understanding which was a thousand times better than any “I’m Sorry”.

“Is that why you dislike your father?”

Wanda flinched. Evidently her feelings towards her late father wasn’t a secret.

“It’s not entirely that” she said reluctantly, “My father was – was a very charming man but he was also a very unstable man. He had swept my mother off her feet when they first met causing her to go against her own family and marry him but after marriage-I-I don’t think they were a very happy couple.”

Tony nodded.

“We barely saw them but my mother would come into the nursery once or twice a week and she would be crying. I remember being five and listening to her cry about how my father would rather spend time with his friends than with her and how he was dangling after married women. She would always come to me if she wanted to talk, even if Nurse tried to keep her away”. Tony looked as if he wanted to say something but he kept his mouth shut.

“She was very beautiful” Wanda continued, her mouth curving into a soft smile at the memory of her vivacious, stunning mother. “She couldn’t spend much time with us but the time she did spend was always fun, if she wasn’t upset. We used to play games. Of course they always ended with her running out of the room for her perfume bottle.” Wanda chuckled.

“She loved perfume. I once heard one of the maids say that she would triple check that she had the bottle with her before leaving the house”.

Tony gave her a small smile but his forehead remained creased.

“Nick-Fury won’t be pleased that you detest guns” he said abruptly, giving her one of his most dazzling smiles. Wanda swallowed and brooded over the sheer injustice of giving a man such a smile.

“Why?” As far as she knew Sir Nicholas Fury, the man who ran the government without ostensibly having any role in the government wasn’t even aware of her existence. Even if he was, she doubted he had given her a second’s thought. Things that were going to potentially change in four months, she thought grimly.

“According to Coulson he had some ridiculous idea of using you to get me back into arms manufacturing. You just crushed his dreams”.

Wanda’s lips twisted into an approximation of a smile at the idea that she could have any influence on Tony. However-“Sir Fury? He is a friend?” she asked carefully.

Tony shrugged. “I wouldn’t describe Nick as anyone’s friend. The man is an oddity, no one knows anything about him, where he is from, what he did before, nothing. He is fiercely loyal to England which makes him a good person to have on our side but as far as people are concerned, they are really just pawns for Nick to play around with. I’m useful to him so he keeps me around. The moment I cease to be so, he will kick me to the curb. That’s Nick”. Tony didn’t seem unduly troubled by the notion.

Wanda sat motionless, her last flicker of hope dying. So that was that.

“But you don’t still work for him, do you?” she asked, in a voice carefully devoid of all emotion. Tony who had been frowning at the skies answered carelessly “Just one more project. My last one. Not a weapons project but something just as important to the army.”

“The Iron-thing project” Wanda said dully.

Tony’s head snapped to face her at that, his face sporting an expression of complete amazement. ”How on earth did you know that?!”

Wanda coloured. “That day in London, Peter said he had lost a letter concerning the Iron –thing” she replied, tasting ash.

Tony groaned and covered his face.

“They would certainly have burnt you at the stake as a witch” he murmured.

“It is important then?” Strucker had certainly done his research, Wanda thought bitterly.

“Depends on how you use it. It is not something that can be made on a large scale you see. Too expensive. But as far as I’m concerned yes, it is certainly one of the most important things I’ve ever made. You can almost say ground-breaking”. Tony smiled, a proud little smile which caused Wanda to feel as if she was soaring and being punched in the stomach at the same time.

“It’s a heavily guarded secret though. Apart from Fury and his chosen few the only other person who knows is Peter. So don’t let it slip to Fury that you know too or he will die of apoplexy and I swear he will come back just to haunt us”. Wanda stretched out her lips in a ghastly approximation of a smile.

Vicious rage burned through her and she was suddenly consumed with a desire to choke the life out of Strucker. Her hands curled into fists and for a moment she raged at the universe for giving her this moment with Tony now. If only this had happened a month ago, if only they had shared this conversation before- before everything, if only Strucker was dead instead of being the man holding the executioner’s axe over her head.

Tony swore then, causing her to look up startled only to blink as a drop of water splashed into her right eye. The English weather with all its usual fickleness had decided to go from perfect morning to a miserable, drizzling day. It was certainly doing its best to capture Wanda’s moods, she thought dully.

“Damn it! There wasn’t a cloud in sight this morning and now it looks like it’s working itself up to a storm. It’s enough to make a man want to emigrate to Kenya “Tony grumbled, packing up their things. Wanda followed his example mutely, giving no outward sign as to the chaos reigning in her head. They trudged back in silence with Wanda too busy trying to make sense of her own thoughts to want to talk.

Once they reached the Great Hall, thankfully having escaped the shower, Tony turned to Wanda who was still lost in thought. She had been unusually quiet the walk home, he thought puzzled.

”Would you like to finish the picnic down in the workshop?” he asked in a would-be casual tone determined that it wouldn’t make a particle of difference to him if she didn’t. He didn’t try to tamp down the frisson of pleasure he felt though, when she replied with her shy smile “That would be lovely “.

“Excellent. We will go down then?”

Wanda hesitated. ”Ah...I’ll be down in a second. I’m afraid I left my reticule in the armoury this morning and I must fetch it”.

Tony nodded. “I’ll wait for you then”.

Wanda smiled distractedly at him and disappeared down the hallway. Tony walked over to the fire and stretched out a wet boot towards it, musing on the events of the day. It hadn’t gone exactly as he had planned but all in all, he thought with something akin to happiness, all-in-all it had been a nice day.

The sound of footsteps alerted him to Wanda’s return. “Got what you were looking for?”

 Wanda, her eyes glittering, nodded firmly. “Yes. Yes, I think so”.


	11. A Monday

Tony moaned as someone shook him.

“Go away” he mumbled. It clearly didn’t work as the hand on his shoulder only tightened its grip and shook him again.

”I swear, if you don’t leave me alone I will ask the Home Secretary to transport you”. Hah. That had told them.

“And I swear that if you don’t get up in three seconds, I’ll empty this glass of cold water on you” an amused voice retorted. A feminine amused voice. Tony’s eyes snapped open to find a laughing pair of brown eyes looking down at him.

“It’s the crack of dawn, Wanda” he moaned while simultaneously appreciating the fact that his wife looked as fresh and pretty as one of the daisies scattered across his gardens. He didn’t know how she did it but she always managed to look as put together as one of Coulson’s briefings at all times of the day. Neat and precise, without a pin out of place. Jarvis said that that was called being civilised but then Jarvis said a lot of things which didn’t make sense to Tony at all.

In contrast to his neat little wife, he looked like something the cat had dragged in from the streets. His usual style which resembled ‘drunk who had been thrown out of Pall Mall at five in the morning’ might have been deemed attractive by a section of London’s hostesses and ladies of er-questionable reputation but he had a feeling it did nothing for him at home.

“Are you getting up?” the object of his thoughts asked him again, eyebrow raised. Her hand tilted slightly and to his horror he realised that she was holding a cup in her hands.

“Don’t you dare!”

Tony sat up so fast, he made a mental note to have Peter check for a neck fracture later.

The heartless monster in front of him chuckled, causing him to pout. “Well I would but I don’t think I need to today” she said candidly before extending the cup towards him. Instincts catching on faster than his brain, Tony dived towards it with a howl of delight. “Coffee” he exhaled before abandoning himself to bliss.

Wanda chuckled again. Inhaling his first shot of manna, Tony stole a glance at her over the rim of his cup. He smiled as the events of the last three months flashed through his mind.

In the beginning, they hadn’t talked a lot. Wanda would come down in the morning to his workshop and she would spend the day working on household accounts and the hundred other things his bailiff was apparently too incompetent to handle while he worked. Conversation had been desultory. Then she had started asking his opinions on some of the issues surrounding the estate and purely out of politeness he had started discussing his work with her.

Somehow they had ended up discussing the implications of atomic theory on matter as we know it, the propriety of planting rye instead of corn and arguing over the relative merits of waffles versus toast. He had won that one handily by pointing out that if he wanted to eat something that had no particular taste, was thick in consistency and resembled a geometrical pattern, he would be better off eating a Rubik’s cube. And if her main argument was that it could be made delicious with the addition of sugar, butter and honey, well so would a Rubik’s cube.

After Peter had arrived their late night discussions had ended up in the parlour. They had started out playing cards but Wanda had quickly put a stop to that after finding out both Peter and Tony counted cards. Peter, to his credit had attempted to look contrite although the grin had given him away but Tony had simply smirked at her, proudly unrepentant causing her to bundle up the cards and throw them in the fire.

They had switched to charades after that and here Wanda shone, having a natural talent for acting. Sometimes Tony and Peter played chess, while Wanda watched with interest and kept score. One memorable evening they had played snapdragon which had ended in Wanda chasing Tony around the room with a cushion because he kept stealing sips of the sherry while Peter had rolled on the floor, howling with laughter.

Wanda gave a horrified gasp interrupting his reverie. He raised an eyebrow at her and she held up a piece of paper in response. “It’s from Pietro”.

Tony perked up immediately. His twelve year old brother-in-law’s weekly letters were a highlight of their life ever since Tony had walked into breakfast and demanded that Wanda start reading them to him after he found her laughing her head off at the letter of the week.

“What did he do now?” he asked eagerly.

“Introduced itching powder into his fag-master’s boots sending him into some sort of a frenzy during a school meeting”. Tony chuckled drawing a glare form Wanda. “What?” he protested. “He is creative”.

Wanda clucked in annoyance. “You are both the same” she scolded, shaking her head. “You probably got up to worse”.

”Oh much worse” Tony agreed, his eyes dancing. ”I still do sweetheart, you have seen me at my finest”.

Wanda blushed and muttered something indistinguishable before hastily turning away. Tony smirked. The endearment had slipped out by accident but her reaction had been worth it. Feeling unaccountably happy Tony finished his coffee and stood up.

“I better get on with it. Fury wants me to send the completed details as soon as possible and I’m atleast three days behind on schedule”.

Wanda’s lips thinned. “Why is it so important to Fury?” Wanda asked abruptly. ”It is just armour is it not? I didn’t even know soldiers wore armour nowadays”.

“They don’t “Tony replied with some excitement. “Modern warfare has no place for cumbersome metal plates. Which is why this is going to be so revolutionary. Imagine wearing body armour which is impenetrable to external agents, including bullets but doesn’t weigh more than your average uniform. If you were to unleash an army or at least a select group of individuals wearing this- well suffice to say our death count would be much lower.”

“But wouldn’t the armour impede movement?”

“And that’s why I’m a genius “Tony said smugly. “It took years but I have finally managed to devise a system wherein the metal panels of the suit slide over one another in such a way as to adjust itself to your movements. When you move, the suit moves with you.”

“Well you can only work until dinner”. Wanda stood up. “Laura Barton sent over a message saying she and Lord Barton will be coming over for dinner”.

Tony groaned. ”Doesn’t she know that you can’t invite yourselves to someone’s home?” Wanda laughed.

“I don’t think it’s a question of not knowing, it’s a question of not caring. And don’t give me that look, I know you adore her”.

“I’m reconsidering it “Tony pouted as Wanda laughed again and left the room. He sighed. Time to go to work.

 

*********************************************

 

Wanda hurried down the garden path cursing Tony. The Bartons had arrived half an hour ago and there was still no sign of Tony. She had at first assumed that he was in his workshop until a maid had informed her that she had seen him making off to the mini-forge he had constructed for himself at the bottom of the garden. So here she was, braving the damp, on her way to drill the meaning of punctuality into her husband’s head.

Reaching the sturdily built stone structure she sighed as she observed the smoke coming from the chimney. Clearly he wasn’t done with whatever he had been doing. Pushing the door open she entered the building.

The fire was built up to the maximum possible level and Tony was sitting in front of the hearth pouring a stream of thick liquid into the anvil with a look of intense concentration on his face. Beside him a large tub of water stood in which something shaped like a man’s head was placed.

“Tony” Wanda called softly. He turned, startled, before his face relaxed into a welcoming expression.

“The Bartons are here”

He looked at her blankly and she suppressed a sigh. He had forgotten again. “The Bartons? Dinner?”

His brow cleared and realisation dawned on his face. Keeping the iron bucket down, he beckoned to her.

“Here” he said, lifting the metal head out of the water with a pair of tongs and placing it on a wooden table.

 “Lift it up”.He handed her the tongs. She cast him a sceptical look. Even though the inside appeared to be hollow, the thickness of the metal was such that she was pretty sure she wouldn’t be able to move it, let alone lift it.

Tony however appeared to be highly confident that she could. Taking the tongs she gripped the strange object and pulled it up before nearly dropping it. In surprise.

“It weighs nothing!”

He nodded, his eyes glittering with triumph. “Wait” he said, setting it back on the table. ”Now watch this”.

Grabbing a hammer he brought it down on the metal head with all the force he could muster. Wanda hastily brought her hands to her ears to block out the deafening clang.

“Look” he insisted, his voice thrilling with excitement. ”Look”.

She looked. The surface of the metal appeared as smooth as ever, without a single hint of a dent.

“What is it?” she whispered, too awed to raise her voice.

A proud, triumphant smile curved Tony’s lips.

“Vibranium”.


	12. The Iron Man project and a chat with Clint

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All "science" in this chapter bears no resemblance to actual science. Real scientists, forgive me for this atrocity.

“When I first conceived of this, I had thought to make this with a combination of two metals-a titanium gold alloy. But that didn’t work out because as it turns out titanium and gold, while an excellent combination in theory, didn’t do so well together in reality. Every time I cooled the molten metal, it would end up as brittle as candy.”

Wanda inclined her head to show that she was following, still gazing in awe at the lump of metal in front of her.

“I had just about given in despair when Fury made me go on a trip to Wakanda to solicit their help in the fight against Boney. They didn’t help but that’s where I noticed this, this thing that they used to build statues of cats at places of worship. Yes they worshipped cats” Tony added, amused as he saw Wanda’s startled look.

“They didn’t use it for anything else because it was a highly volatile element with a poor tensile strength-it crumbled as soon as you made it warm” he amended seeing her confusion.

“But there were points about it that were-intriguing. So I made a deal with the king, bought an entire ship full of this element, brought it back to England and found a way to stabilise it transforming it into this” he said in much the same manner a man would have said that he had brought groceries home from the market .

“What happens when you run out of raw matter?” she asked, her eyes still glued to the helmet. Tony flashed a typically smug Tony Stark smile. ”I found a way to synthesize it”.

Of course he had. If Tony’s genius had ever been in question, this- this lump of metal sitting in front of her settled the debate. She was suddenly filled with pride, a pride so fierce, so visceral it overwhelmed her. He had done this. Her husband had done this. This brilliant, brilliant man was hers.

“You are something else” she said quietly and had the satisfaction of seeing Tony Stark blush for the first time since they had met. “Just a little something I came up with” he cracked, a pleased grin tugging at his lips. She rolled her eyes.

“Modesty is the one thing that doesn’t become you”.

“So everything else does?”

Wanda blamed the heat in the room for the flush creeping up her face. Right on cue, her brain decided to notice that Tony had discarded his waistcoat and cravat and was standing in front of her clad only in a white shirt which was so soaked with sweat that it clung to him like a second skin, defining the hard length of his body. Coiled power. Not obvious to the casual eye but present all the same, waiting for the right moment to strike. The fire was built too high, she thought wildly. It was so hot in here, she was practically dizzy.

“You must –must change before dinner” she stammered. Tony looked at her with a knowing look that left her in no doubt that he had a fair idea of what was going through her mind right now.

“I assure you Laura and Clint have seen me in worse” he purred. “Unless of course it makes you uncomfortable?”

Face flaming, Wanda stumbled backward. “I-I’ll go first. You follow. Yes-I must-I will go” she stammered again before fleeing the chamber leaving a gleeful Tony behind.

 

*********************************************

Tony leaned back twirling his glass of port, waiting for Clint to speak. Laura had dragged Wanda away to ostensibly inspect the orangery, though Tony rather thought she was digging for dirt on them. Clint poured himself a glass before taking a seat facing Tony.

“Well?”

“Fury sent a message.” Clint shrugged. “I am to report to the headquarters immediately”.

Tony frowned. ”Surely Fury knows about Laura’s condition.”

“Which tells you that the matter is serious”. Clint’s face was grim. “Nat has been on their track for quite some time now. You know about Rumlow of course?”

Tony nodded in the affirmative.

 ”Well he is only a link in the chain. We have managed to identify about twenty of the small fry but the big guns-we are missing them.”

“That’s Nat and Coulson’s job. What do they need you for?” Tony pointed out. Clint’s face darkened even more. “Nat says that there is reason to believe Schmidt has entered England”.

Tony stilled. ”Schmidt, the Schmidt who was one of Bonaparte’s right hand men and one of the very few who escaped capture when Boney was sent to Elba, that Schmidt?”

“How many Schmidts do you know?” Clint asked drily. “We don’t really know why or what’s happening but Fury is preparing for trouble and calling all active personnel back to London”.

“Wanda and I were thinking of returning next week” Tony said slowly. “Parliament starts in two weeks. But now that we know this-perhaps it would be better to leave her behind.”

At that Clint cocked a grin. ”Never thought to see you as a concerned husband Tony. Marriage getting to you already? Started exchanging Christmas cards with the relatives?”

Tony rolled his eyes. ”Yes, Clint _I’m_ the man in this room who has been tamed by marriage. Besides, the only relative I have gained by this marriage is a twelve year old boy up at Eton who seems to be possessed by the devil.”

Clint gave an incredulous smile. “The devil? Really? You seem to forget Tony, I am the father of a four year old and a two year old.”

“They aren’t like this little imp Barton” Tony replied simply. “In the space of the last three and a half months, in addition to setting fire to a housemaster’s coat and releasing animals into classes, he has put baking soda in chamber pots, painted the walls of some of the dormitories bright pink, conducted late night jack-straw tournaments, managed to get his hands on what seems to be an unlimited supply of itching, sneezing and a wide variety of other powders, used these powders with devastating effect on no less than fifteen victims, if not more and has participated in three separate fights. I have a feeling that if I don’t keep sending periodic cheques to the Headmaster, one of the staff might actually strangle the little devil.”

Clint roared with laughter as Tony as watched in amusement. “How does he keep getting away with it?” Clint gasped, mopping his eyes.

”Well since most of his pranks seem to be aimed at bullies, I thought it advisable that I send a letter to the board describing my strong interest in him. I might also have hinted that I would be very upset if anything- well anything that crossed a certain line were to happen to him. Somehow he got wind of it and I received a letter ten pages long yesterday. The first two dealt with reasons as to why I was the best fellow that ever lived, the next two dealt with his future plans which made me realise that I’m going to have to increase the amount I write on that cheque and the last six was nothing more than a heartfelt plea for food.”

Clint howled.

“Judging by his descriptions, Pietro is living in abject poverty, getting by on scraps from the food pail. It had the effect of making Ana barricade herself in the kitchen the whole of yesterday and I anticipate cartloads of food to be making its way to Eton from here, tomorrow.”

“It is nice, isn’t it? Having a family” Clint drawled with a knowing look. Tony stared down into his glass. “It is –tolerable”.

Thankfully Clint wasn’t a man to push and he changed the subject. “How is your work going?”

Tony raised an eyebrow and said “You aren’t supposed to know anything about my work” causing Clint to blow a raspberry.

Tony gave up. It was impossible to shame a man who was impervious to the very concept. “It’s going well” he admitted. ”I should have everything ready for Fury by next week”.

“Laura told me Lady Stark takes an interest in your work” Clint said with a sly grin. Tony looked daggers at Clint who stuck his tongue out.

“If by interest you mean she listens and asks intelligent questions unlike _some_ friends I possess, then yes she is interested. She doesn’t like the work I do for Fury as much as the other work I do, so that’s a kick in the balls for him” he said with satisfaction.

“How do you know that?” Clint asked, confused. Tony turned red. “Her eyes sort of, light up when we are talking about the Volta experiment or Faraday’s work but it goes blank when I discuss Fury’s project with her” he said slowly. “She is the one in charge of locking all of the plans up in the safe every night because I invariably forget to do that and she does take some interest in the design and the concept but the spark-it’s not there.”

Clint looked bemused. ”I didn’t really understand all of the words in that incoherent ramble but I am glad you found someone who gets what you do”.

Tony smiled fondly. “She also manages everything else. I dread the day she meets Pepper for the two were born to team up against me”.

“Then I propose a toast” Clint announced, holding his glass up “To Lady Stark and may she always have your back “. Tony raised his own glass and clinked it against Clint’s.


	13. A visit and a conversation

Bruce stared at the young girl who was currently employed in studying one of his roses intently. Tony had waltzed into their laboratory today, accompanied by the new Lady Stark before promptly proceeding to ignore her in favour of the latest Faraday theory. For some reason the young Lady Stark hadn’t reacted like any normal young woman and instead of justifiably throwing her shoe at Tony’s stupid head, she had instead chosen to wander over to Bruce’s side of the laboratory and focus on his plants. Even more surprising she seemed to be enjoying herself.

Perhaps feeling his eyes on her she turned to look at him and Bruce found himself on the receiving end of a disturbingly direct stare from two large brown eyes.

“Am I distracting you?” she asked, an embarrassed blush blooming on her cheeks. Bruce shook his head dumbly. Damn it, he hated Tony. If anyone knew of his struggles to talk to someone he didn’t already know, it was Tony. And yet, Tony hadn’t even properly introduced his wife to Bruce before letting her loose in their shared workshop.

“Brucie here is shy, Wanda. Doesn’t open up to strangers very well” the man in question sung from his corner. Bruce gritted his teeth and swore that he would strangle Tony as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

“Oh”. Wanda smiled, her blush fading. “I was worried that I was interrupting your work. You must forgive me, I have never seen roses of such unusual colour. Did you grow them?”

Bruce nodded. Reminding himself that this was the wife of one of his oldest friends he tried to keep the ball rolling.

“Yes, my newest creation. Krasny. Er-yes. I made it.”

Wonderful. He was certain his face was now the exact shade of the rose in question. Attempt at conversation had officially failed and his best friend’s wife was now under the impression that he was a gibbering moron.

“Krasny?” she asked, her soft voice coated with confusion. Bruce blushed harder. “It means red. In Russian. A random choice”. He stole a look at Tony’s corner and thanked every god in existence when Tony appeared to be oblivious to everything except what he was reading.

“Ah”

 Bruce’s head snapped back to meet Lady Stark’s mischievous eyes. “I wondered where I had seen this particular shade of red before. It is very similar to the colour of Lady Romanoff’s hair”.

Bruce opened his mouth and then shut it. Then again. Then again.

“I don’t know what you mean” he replied automatically. Lady Stark merely gave him a small knowing smile which made the desire to jump out of the window and escape only stronger.

“Does she come here often?” The question was spoken in a too-innocent tone which set off all of Bruce’s danger signals.

“Not-not really” he stumbled over his words trying to find some way to turn back from the cliff he was headed to. “Sometimes. Rarely. Business mostly. With Tony”.

“Of course” she agreed smoothly, her eyes still twinkling. “Tony did tell me something about it. I also understand Lady Romanoff is so dedicated to her work with Tony, she also spends hours waiting for him here even when he is not here. He also tells me she is very fond of roses”.

Bruce spluttered. He tried to find ways to explain but the words kept getting stuck in his mouth. What could he say? What she was implying was both outrageous and-and… he didn’t finish the thought. Couldn’t.

“It’s not like that “he said abruptly, the words coming out harsher than he had meant them to sound. Lady Stark stilled at that, turning to face him. The teasing look had disappeared and had been replaced by a look of contrition.

“I didn’t mean to upset you”. She wasn’t laughing any more.

 Bruce attempted a smile. “I-it’s allright my lady. Have you seen the others? I can show you around the place if you like”

Wanda acquiesced and the two of them spent the next hour going around what had been once an opium den in the heart of the City before Tony had unleashed his money and imagination on it. She was smart, Bruce realised. Not smart in the way Tony, or even he was but smart in a common sense, practical way.

Speaking of the devil…”Brucie! Are you enticing my wife with your roses now?! Name your seconds!”

Bruce rolled his eyes as Tony came up behind them to stand beside his wife who looked supremely unimpressed with her husband’s histrionics. “If your shooting is anything like your fencing skills then you would be dead within two seconds of that duel” she informed him bluntly.

Tony gave a horrified gasp and flung his hand over his face. ”Betrayed my own wife! My heart is positively burning”

“That could have something to do with the seemingly endless cups of coffee you consume in a day” the aforesaid wife responded dryly.

“Uh-excuse me it’s not endless, it’s close to twelve and what’s a man to do when his wife throws away all his alcohol? Brucie-bear , this person that you see may appear to be a demure young woman but take my word for it, there is a raging wildcat hidden underneath that façade. She emptied out my best rum into a chamber pot, a chamber pot! And then she dunked my head into cold water before teaming up with Jarvis to push me into bed!”

“Well if you wouldn’t insist on drinking yourself senseless when you get stuck in your work…”

“Sweetheart, it was one bottle and how else do you expect me to cope with the fact that my brilliant mind won’t work?”

“Normal people I have been told, go out riding or find something else to do”

“I did find something else to do! I engaged in sword play with my groom which you put a stop to by the way so that’s entirely your fault “

“You were both drunk!!!!”

Bruce watched in amused fascination while Tony and Lady Stark bickered back and forth. Tony’s eyes held a fond gleam as they rested on his wife’s flushed cheeks and flashing eyes. He was happy, Bruce realised with a jolt, happier than he had been for quite some time.

“Ow!” Bruce snapped back to attention only to find out that Lady Stark had ended up a little too excited and managed to scratch her forearm on one of the rose bushes when waving her hand.

“Are you hurt?” Bruce started forward in concern but Tony overtook him to grab a hold of his wife’s arm ignoring her protests, all traces of laughter gone from his face.

“Only a scratch” he murmured after a moment, his brow clearing. “But just to be on the safe side we will put some vinegar and St John’s wort on it when we go home. Yes I know you hate the smell of vinegar” he said with a grin when Wanda rolled her eyes, “But it has been found to help healing. We had better leave now anyways, it’s nearly four and we don’t want to be late for the ball”.

Lady Stark who had been half laughing, half scowling at Tony, stiffened and her eyes suddenly went blank. Looking at the rigid, pale effigy who had replaced the laughing young girl, Bruce blinked and looked at Tony in confusion who gave a tiny shake of his head before addressing Wanda “Do you want to wait outside while I clear up here?”

She nodded at that and with a small smile to Bruce she swept out of the room, the line of her back very straight and rigid.

“Was it me?” Bruce asked, bewildered at the sudden turn of events. Tony shook his head again, his brow furrowed as he stared at the door through which his wife had just exited the room. “No, its something else, something I haven’t been able to figure out yet. She has been like that ever since we returned, in fact today was the only time I saw her even remotely animated in three days”. Bruce frowned.

“Do you have any idea what it could be?”

Tony’s eyes glowed in what Bruce assumed was anger although anger seemed a mild word to describe the emotion Tony’s eyes were spitting out. ”Jesus, Tony, what happened?”

“Nothing” Tony replied, his voice curt and inviting no further questions. Since Bruce was an idiot he asked again. “What happened?”

Realising that Bruce wasn’t going to give up easily Tony sighed in defeat and swore.

 “I don’t know for sure. I _think_ she is afraid of someone here in London based on…something that happened last season and for some reason she won’t believe me when I tell her that I won’t let anything of the sort happen to her again. Which is pretty ridiculous considering that even the British government knows my word is the last word in any matter. And the worst thing is, whatever the _fuck_ the problem is, it is literally killing her. We have been in London for three days and she has already lost whatever little weight she gained at Leicestershire, she walks about looking paler than a ghost and her maid tells me that she has been using powder to mask dark circles so chances are she isn’t sleeping as well which means I, Anthony Edward Stark, universally acclaimed genius and heir to the Earl of Shield with his third biggest fortune in England am being forced to watch my wife torturing herself without being able to do a damn thing to help her!”

Pages of Bruce’s careful notes went flying as Tony brought his hand down on the wooden bench with a crash, nearly upsetting two tiny little pots which housed Bruce’s latest creations as well.Bruce quickly brought up a hand to steady them but wisely kept his mouth shut until Tony’s breath had evened out.

“Something?”

“I can’t tell you” Tony snapped but immediately amended his words on seeing Bruce’s face” Its-Its upto her to decide whether she wants someone to know about it or not”.

Bruce nodded slowly.

“If you need any help” he began

“I know”

Bruce met Tony’s rueful smile with one of his own before saying “I’ll get some bog moss as well for Lady Stark while you finish up. Make sure you get everything, Coulson wants the rough draft tonight”.

Grabbing the required item Bruce made his way to the outer sitting room where Lady Stark was sitting while Tony headed over to collect the document that was going to give Coulson a headache tonight. He found her sitting in a straight backed chair, her eyes fixated on the wall opposite her. Her hands he noted, were still clasping each other so tightly he was half afraid her nails were going to break skin.

“Here” he held the small packet towards her “Bog moss. I’ve been told it helps with the pain”.

She gave a brief smile and shook her head but she did take it from him. For a moment they both stood awkwardly, not entirely sure what to say to each other.

“She cares for you, you know”. Lady Stark had turned a deep red but she met his eyes bravely. “You might not think it but from what I’ve seen she does care for you a great deal”.

Bruce stared at her. Of all the things he had expected her to say right now, this wasn’t it. There was no need to specify who ‘she’ was of course, but apart from that he had no idea what Lady Stark was talking about.

“My Lady”

“Wanda”

Bruce tried again. “Very well, er-Wanda I can assure you that you are labouring under a misapprehension”

She shook her head vehemently. “No, no, I know _._ It’s clear in a hundred different ways Mr Banner and you should-you should definitely consider it”. She swallowed. “You should not waste some-some opportunities”

Bruce knew that now was the time for him to go back into the laboratory and pretend that this conversation had never happened but for some reason he was compelled to stay. Lady Stark’s eyes were suspiciously glassy and her voice had sounded strained beyond endurance but there was a queer sort of urgency in her face that held his attention.

“If she does care why doesn’t she say anything?” he asked slowly. “I have not made much of a secret of my own feelings towards her after all. I’m certain she knows, yet she has not indicated even the slightest form of interest”

“I don’t know” Lady Stark replied causing disappointment to course through Bruce’s veins. Of course not. Because whatever she thought existed was nothing more than a figment of her imagination.

“But I think I can guess why. From what Tony tells me, Lady Romanoff has led a rather difficult life and it is possible she does not think herself suitable for you”.

Bruce stared at her incredulous beyond belief. He waited until he found his voice to dispel that ridiculous notion.

“ _She_ is not suitable for _me_?! Let alone the fact that that it is the stupidest thing I’ve heard, what sort of person runs away like that?”

“Perhaps” and now there was definitely a tremble in Lady Stark’s voice “Perhaps she thinks that that is the right thing to do. After all if you know that you will bring harm to the person you lo-care about, wouldn’t you rather spare him hurt than make him suffer beside you?”

“No” Bruce said firmly. ”No, if you love someone you should stick by their side even if everything and everyone in this world is against you because they would rather have you than the whole world”.

Lady Stark looked at him in silence.

“I ran away once” he blurted out before he could think the better of it. ”I was engaged when I was very young to a girl named Betty. She was beautiful and vivacious and everything I wasn’t but she loved me and I loved her. Her father didn’t like me because I had no title or money at the time and he took his anger for me out on Betty. So I left, because I couldn’t see her hurt and miserable”

He swallowed forcing the lump back. ”She was married to a wealthy baronet, a widower and died in childbirth. It wasn’t-it wasn’t a happy marriage”.

Lady Stark remained blessedly silent but he could feel her sympathy. His thoughts were all a jumble, old memories which had been safely locked away springing free while fragmented hopes for a future were taking new root.

“Shall we leave then?” Tony’s cheery voice broke the silence filling the room. Lady Stark hurriedly turned to her husband and gave him her arm.

“Yes I think so. Unless we wish to turn up to the Duchess’s ball looking like a pair of rag pickers we better leave”

Tony chuckled at that and they moved to the door when she suddenly turned to face Bruce.

“Mr Banner I assure you, I’m right about-about what I said”

Bruce gave her a hesitant smile, conveniently ignoring Tony’s quizzical face. ”Tony said you were good at sizing people up, my lady”

“Wanda.And no, not always” Her face darkened. ”A clever actor can easily deceive me. But this? I’m sure”.

Bruce looked at her stern little face for a long minute. ”I’ll consider it, my lady”.


	14. A ball and it's aftermath

“There!” Tony tied the last knot in his cravat and surveyed his appearance in the mirror with satisfaction. ”How do I look Jarvis? Stunning? Dashing? Devastatingly handsome?”

“Not like a beggar in Piccadilly street sir”

“Jarvis, would it kill you to call me handsome?”

“Yes sir”

Tony pouted while Jarvis carefully stuck a ruby pin into Tony’s foamy white cravat. Dressed in black and white and gleaming from head to toe Jarvis was well aware that only very few men could manage to draw eyes away from his young master tonight. He was also aware that his young master was perfectly aware of that fact.

“Where is my wife?” said master demanded, apparently having grown tired of admiring his own reflection.

“Downstairs I presume, waiting in the hall, since she seems perfectly capable of telling time”

Tony sniffed. “It’s called being fashionably late Jarvis”

“I believe it’s called being unforgivably rude to your wife by keeping her waiting sir” Jarvis replied effectively shutting Tony up.

“She liked the laboratory” Tony muttered after a few minutes while Jarvis struggled to tame Tony’s hair. Jarvis gave a fond smile. “Is that a surprise?” he asked archly.

“No-o” Tony’s sounded equal parts exhilarated and doubtful. “But it was the first time I saw her happy after I came back to London. It didn’t last though” he continued morosely “She went back to doing her pale, silent act as soon as we turned back home.”

Jarvis frowned. ”There is something worrying that child badly”

“Well why won’t she tell me then?” Tony asked acidly. “Does she not think I am capable of helping her? Or doesn’t she want me interfering in her private little world?”

Jarvis stopped dragging the comb through Tony’s unruly curls and fixed him with his most severe glare. Tony coloured but looked back defiantly.

“Master Tony I understand you are upset but let me give you a piece of advice. If you so much as even raise your voice at that child in frustration right now, you stand to lose her for good. She is clearly worrying herself to death over something and the only way you can get her to open up is by showing her that she can trust you. And if it’s the fact that she is hiding things that’s upsetting you then what about you hiding things from her?”

“That’s different”

“How?”

“I am trying to protect her?”

Jarvis grit his teeth. “You cannot protect her by hiding secrets concerning her. This isn’t some silly little matter, this concerns her parents’ death”.

“I know!” Tony finally howled in the voice of one who had been goaded beyond reason. “I know I have no right Jarvis. I know you are right but you are also wrong because Howard brought me up to face reality at every step and you know what? I wasn’t happy! And I’m not about to make her miserable by divulging something of no importance which happened almost a decade ago. And that’s the last I want to hear of this matter!”

Jarvis pursed his lips but said no more. Assuring himself that everything was exactly as it ought to be Tony left the room and made his way to the hall. Giving an absent nod to the footman who opened the door, he strode in only to be brought up short by the sight of his wife.

Red. Deep rich red. The soft velvet clung to her body, tracing the contours of her dangerously enticing bosom before falling in soft draperies from the fashionably high waist. The robe was worn over a dull black satin slip which only made the glow of the red more prominent. The colour brought out the dusky undertones to her skin and made her auburn hair which was twisted into an elegant little knot-Grecian he thought it was called, gleam. His private fantasy and worst nightmare had somehow come to life simultaneously.

“Glorious” he whispered making her blush. Blush, glowing eyes, dress straight from the devil. He was doomed tonight. He wondered how Jarvis would feel about drawing him an ice cold bath when he returned.

“Do I look allright?” she asked shyly.” Red wasn’t too unconventional a choice?”

“You don’t look allright” he declared causing her smile to fall off. He strode towards her. ”You look like a witch” he said taking her hands in his own. ”A scarlet witch. And god help the man who gets caught in your magic”.

She beamed and he devoutly hoped that she wouldn’t look down. The next time he went to see Weston, he would have to tell him to make his breeches more loose. For now though, he shrugged on his greatcoat hastily, hoping to god that his problem would er-go down by the time they reached Queensberry house.

“Shall we?”

 

***************************************

 

“Wanda!” Darcy launched herself into Wanda’s arms with enough force to knock the breath out of her. Tony laughed and steadied her while she did her best to ignore the feel of his hands on her.

“You look delicious!”

“Darcy!” Wanda moaned. Captain Barnes who had joined them grinned, clearly unabashed by his fiance’s scandalous behaviour.

“I have to agree Miss Lewis, my wife does look good enough to eat” Tony smirked, his eyes glowing with mischief. Wanda closed her eyes and prayed that the ground would just do her a favour and swallow her.

“See! He gets to say it. Speaking of good enough to eat, how is he in bed Wanda?”

Wanda gaped at her, searching for words and finding none. That she currently resembled a tomato broiled in a volcano, she well knew but she had a bigger problem to deal with. To start with, how was she to ever look another human being in the eye again?

Tony was howling behind her but by some miracle Captain Barnes took pity on her and turned to his fiancé with an adoring smile. “Come love, let’s give Lady Stark some time to recover from you or her heart might give out. We can come back later”.

He departed dragging an indignant Darcy with him leaving Wanda behind with the one person she could not and did not want to look at.

“You do know that you will have to open your eyes eventually” his amused voice sounded dangerously close to her ears making her screw her eyes even more shut.

“Open your eyes Wanda”.

She shook her head, eyes still stubbornly shut.

“Open your eyes or I’ll do something _really_ embarrassing”

“What?” she demanded refusing to give one inch on the disputed territory of the space between her eyelids.

“I’ll kiss you”

Her eyes flew open as she exclaimed in outrage “You wouldn’t!” only to narrow threateningly when she saw his laughing face.

“No” he admitted, redeeming himself a little. “But I would like to” he continued, promptly losing gained ground and falling to even lower depths.

She looked at him torn between amusement and a strong emotion she did not want to put a name to. True to his usual course of behaviour he gave her an engaging grin which only worsened everything she was feeling tenfold.

“Hush” she said unable to find anything else to say. Ignoring her blushes, he put his hand around her waist drawing her close before pointing to a corner of the ballroom.

“Do you remember that corner?”

Wanda shook her head, too concerned with the whispers and stares aimed at them to concentrate. She tried to gently manoeuvre herself out of Tony’s arm but he only held her tighter.

“It’s where you were standing the first time I saw you”

Wanda’s head whipped back so fast, she nearly lost her balance. ”You remember that?” she asked incredulously. Tony nodded, a soft reminiscent smile on his face.

“Why me?” she asked suddenly, unable to hold in the one question which had plagued her ever since they had married. ”You could have had anyone, anyone who fit your conditions so don’t try that excuse again. Why me?”

Tony looked at her for a moment, the smile widening. ”You looked so solemn” he said, the laugh back in his voice. ”So grave and serious like the high priestess of some ancient religion. I was immediately filled with this urge to make you laugh so I dug up the old crone Rotherham and wangled an introduction”

“And you did” she whispered, half awed by the discoveries she was making tonight.

“I did” he agreed with a smug grin. ”It was about something very stupid, the colour of Alvanley’s coat I think, a ghastly shade of vomit. But you did laugh and it was all the more sweeter because you so obviously disliked me and wanted nothing to do with me or my jokes”

“I didn’t dislike you” Wanda advanced feebly. Tony shot her a look.

“After that I felt that having you as a wife would be preferable to having any of the other specimens being paraded around me. At the very least, you intrigued me”

 “But-but you barely noticed me after our marriage! In fact you went out of your way to avoid me”. Wanda glared at him. What on earth was he doing, confusing her like this?

“Well you weren’t very good at hiding your disapproval of me. You also didn’t seem very keen on me interfering in your life so I thought I would put as much distance as possible between us. At the time you were giving an excellent impression of a sophisticated, experienced heiress which I’m ashamed to say completely deceived me”.

“I am a sophisticated experienced heiress” Wanda declared indignantly. Tony said nothing but his lips twitched as he smoothed a few strands of Wanda’s hair back from her face.

Wanda stared into his face, oblivious for the moment to the swirling crowd of people around her. A giggle escaped her causing him to look down, eyebrows raised.

”It’s just-we are standing here tonight like this, because you wanted to make me _laugh_ ”. Another giggle escaped her. The whole situation defied the wildest of imaginations.

He chuckled holding her closer while she pretended not to notice. “I have always had marvellous instincts” he boasted making her roll her eyes before dissolving into laughter along with him.

“Good evening”

Every emotion except cold fear left her at the sound of that hateful, smooth voice.

“Baron Strucker” Tony stuck his hand out with a smile. “Delighted to see you haven’t left us. My wife has definitely missed her talks with you”

Wanda studiously avoided looking at the new arrival’s face and gingerly held out a hand, trying her best to contain her shudder at the touch of that smooth, soft lips. She didn’t dare look up. If she did and she saw that – that monstrous face again, she might do something horrifyingly stupid, like scratching his eyes out. Even without looking at him she could tell he was smirking.

Memories of the last time she had seen him assaulted her, making her shrink closer to Tony, her breath noticeably coming faster. Tony, who had been making small talk with the creature noticed and looked down at her with concern making her want to weep.

“Its nothing, I think I need to use the powder room”

He nodded but the worried look didn’t go away making her summon up a wan smile in an attempt to calm him. He couldn’t know, she told herself sternly and left, feeling the cold grey gaze following her.

Reaching the powder closet she locked the door and unrolled the small piece of parchment that had been slipped into her hand during that mercifully brief period of contact.

**Tomorrow.Noon. At the address given below.**

For a moment she stared at the hateful scrap wishing with all her might that it would burst into flames. Then hastily crumbling it into a ball she stuffed it into her reticule and made her way out to her unsuspecting husband.

To her relief, Strucker was nowhere to be seen.

“Is everything all right?” Tony asked, his brow furrowing at the sight of her pale face.

“Yes. Yes. I just-I would like to go home” she whispered, certain that she would break down if she had to stay one more minute in the overstuffed ballroom.

“Yes of course” he replied immediately “I’ll take you home right now”

“No-no you were supposed to meet with Mr Coulson and he hasn’t yet arrived. Stay. I just-I just want to go home and sleep”. She damned herself mentally with every word that slipped out of her mouth.

He looked down at her, clearly debating with himself.

“Very well then. I’ll call for the carriage “

Wanda gave him a relieved smile and firmly concentrated on holding her tears at bay. The perfect night had turned into a nightmare.


	15. Turmoil

Tony cast another worried glance at his wife as they waited for the carriage outside Queensberry house. He had finally managed to take away the pinched expression from her face only for her to shut down again, minutes later. That’s it. Enough was enough.

“We will leave London next week”

That shook her out of her reverie. Judging by the look on her face she had clearly been reliving every nightmare she had ever had.

“I beg your pardon?” she asked, her face betraying her surprise at his statement.

He swallowed. ”London. We will leave next week. Back to Leicestershire”

“But why?” she asked again.

“You are not happy here” he answered bluntly. “And you won’t tell me why. Which is all right, really. Well it’s not all right but Jarvis tells me that it should be so I’m listening to him because Jarvis is always right. It’s silly because I could help you but if you don’t trust me, then I understand. I-“

Tony had over the last few months flirted outrageously and shamelessly with his wife and had watched her skirt away, blushing from his advances with obvious amusement. It hadn’t stopped him from imagining several scenarios though, where his wife would initiate contact of her own volition- a touch on his arm perhaps, a brush of her sleeve against him and in his wildest fantasies he had even imagined her kissing him. Unfortunately it had never crossed his mind that the very first time Wanda would lay hands on his person would involve her grabbing his coat lapels and shaking him thoroughly. The world was a funny place, he thought dazedly as his head swung back and forth with each shake.

“The hell?!” he exclaimed when she finally let him go with one last powerful shake, nearly knocking the breath out of his body. For all her slight build she was surprisingly strong.

“If I ever hear you blaming yourself for anything concerning me, I will gut you”. She spoke clearly and distinctly, enunciating each word.

Tony blinked at her in astonishment. Her flashing eyes and the thin line of her mouth was more than enough indication that his wife was in a raging temper but why, he had no idea. A voice in his head that sounded eerily similar to Jarvis warned him to keep his mouth shut.

“Did I hurt you?” She asked in a slightly softer voice after a moment.

Tony shook his head. His breath caught midway through an exhale when she moved forward and raised one small hand to smooth the lapel of his coat. His own hands went up involuntarily to cover her trembling ones.

“Tony”.

Her eyes had glassed over and her voice was thick with emotion. Tony stared down at her helplessly, feeling completely useless.

“Tony” she whimpered again, the grasp on his coat tightening. A discreet cough behind them alerted Tony to the fact that the carriage had arrived but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He had to get to the bottom of this. Resolutely shutting the door on his inner Jarvis, Tony opened his mouth to demand answers when he received his second shock of the night.

She was kissing him, he realised through his utter stupefaction. Wanda, his Wanda who blushed if he got too close to her had launched herself at him and smashed her mouth against his.

In no way was it a good kiss. It was too awkward, too desperate and consisted of too much teeth clacking against each other. But _fuck,_ it felt good.

The sound of someone crowing made him forcibly aware that his wife was kissing him in public in full view of whichever idiot happened to be passing by. Reputation, reputation, reputation-someone screamed inside his head. With an effort he grabbed her shoulders and lifted her away from him.

“Wanda” he gasped.

She stared at him, eyes blazing and suddenly looking terribly lovely but what was more pressing to Tony was the tear tracks forming on her cheeks.

“Wanda” he said again but this time, appalled. In one swift movement he dragged her into his arms and did the only thing he could do to comfort her. He kissed her again. The world could go to hell.

He tried to take it slow, to give her the sort of kiss young girls dreamed about but she would have none of it, pressing against him with a desperation that half-scared him and forcing him to take everything he wanted and more.

They broke apart gasping for air. She was trembling causing him to hold her tight, unable to make out whether it was the kiss or whatever it was that was causing her to behave in such a manner that had her shaking so much..

“Tony” her voice was muffled by his coat. She raised her head to look him squarely in the eye.

“You do know I would never hurt you willingly, don’t you?” She had spoken quietly but he could make out the same desperation he had felt when she had kissed him underlying her words.

He nodded.

She let out a long shuddering sigh before stepping away from him and moving towards the carriage. The footman who had been studiously ignoring them helped her climb in and then they were off, leaving behind a very confused Tony.

 

******************************************************

Natasha walked with brisk steps until she reached Fury’s sanctum. Opening the door she let herself in, a small smile forming on her face when she caught sight of Steve. If Steve was here, then this would be short. She was glad. Miss Hill’s briefings tended to be longwinded.

“Sit down Lady Romanoff”

Natasha sat.

“Creel, Garrett, Orlov and Palamas. An excellent night’s work”. Natasha said nothing. With Hill, you were never sure that a compliment was always just a compliment.

“Where is Fury?” Steve asked puzzled. “And Coulson? Why is it just the three of us?”

Hill’s face betrayed nothing but Natasha caught the slight furrow in her brow. Good. That meant that Fury was off doing something actually important instead of attending a pointless debriefing.

“Fury is-otherwise engaged. Coulson has gone to the Queensberry ball to go over…some rules for tomorrow’s meeting with Lord Stark”.

Steve gave a loud and extremely unconvincing cough while Natasha bit her lip. The last time Stark had unveiled a new creation, he had managed to insult three Generals, called Lord Ellenborough a close-minded idiot and had publicly informed The First Secretary to the Admiralty that his wife was sleeping with The Treasurer of the Navy. She had a feeling that Coulson was just going over the basic etiquette practiced by five year olds with Tony tonight.

“Your report Lady Romanoff?”

Natasha sat up straight. “Most of the individuals who acted as rendezvous points have already been arrested. However due to the extreme secrecy of their operations we still don’t know who the main players are although we do know that they are targeting Stark.”

Hill frowned. ”It seems inconceivable that with all the arrests we have made we have not yet obtained a single piece of information about their ringleader”.

Natasha remained silent. A theory had been building in her head for some time now but she needed hard proof before telling Hill or Fury.

Steve leaned forward. “Their organization is a miracle of planning. The people who work as the buyers don’t know the people who liaise with the French side and vice versa. Orders are given only through written communication which is then memorised and burnt immediately. Capturing one man gives us nothing because he can only tell us about his part in the game“.

Hill sighed. “What do you suggest we do then Lord Rogers?”

Steve shrugged. ”One-continue what we are doing. Dismantle it piece by piece. Two-find their leader. This is a one man show and if we can find their ring leader the whole thing comes collapsing down”.

Hill was frowning. “Where are we on finding Schmidt?”

“It’s not just him” Natasha blurted out causing both Hill and Steve to look at her in surprise.

 “I beg your pardon?” The faint sceptical note in Hill’s voice did it. She needed to tell them at least some of what she suspected.

“I don’t think it’s just Schmidt running the show” Natasha announced calmly. “Not only is the operation carried out in a much more different style than Schmidt’s, one of my sources tell me that it is highly likely there is a second person involved”.

“Your sources?” Hill’s eyebrows went up. “I wasn’t aware that any of my agents were working for you”

“They aren’t” Natasha’s voice had suddenly turned very cold. ”I have my own sources”

She could practically see the cogs turning in Hill’s brain. The woman was wondering whether it was worth it to make this a point of contention or not. Luckily for everyone concerned her next words showed that she had decided to let it go. For now.

“Is Stark safe?”

“Oh yes”. It was Steve who answered this time. “We have our best people tailing him whenever he leaves his house and the factory and laboratory are under constant surveillance. There is no way anyone can get to him”.

Natasha frowned again which didn’t escape Maria Hill’s notice. ”Something to say Lady Romanoff?”

“I’m not sure” she replied slowly. She only had a feeling, a nagging insistent feeling that for some reason she couldn’t shake off. “It’s just- we have taken down operations like this before and by the time you have arrested so many of their men you can almost feel their defeat”

“But?” Hill pushed, knowing by the look of her best agent’s face that she was not going to like what she had to say.

“But I can’t feel that here. The more men I arrest, the more I get the feeling that they are actually winning. There is something- something I feel we are missing”

Hill sat back, twirling the pencil in her hand. From anyone else, she would have dismissed this as fanciful speculation but Natasha’s instincts were so good as to be infallible.

“What about Stark’s house? Could they have placed a plant?”

Steve shook his head. ”Impossible. All of his staff have been thoroughly vetted and are monitored periodically. Apart from them, the only people with access to him and his work is Jarvis, Ana, Lady Stark and Mr Parker”

“Jarvis, Lady Stark and Ana are of course impossible. Mr Parker?”

“No”. Both Steve and Natasha replied simultaneously.

Hill leaned forward, her face creased with worry. “What or who then?”

***************************************************************************

 

Wanda checked the door thrice. Satisfied that it was indeed locked she made her way to the writing desk standing in the corner of  her bedroom and sat herself in front of it.

Breathe, she told herself sternly.

With hands that weren’t quite as steady as usual she opened a drawer and slid her hand to the very back of it. She fumbled with the back panel until it slid away revealing a small recess behind it. She stared at its contents.

The thick bundle of papers sitting next to the little pistol she had stolen from the armoury that day appeared to mock her. She picked it up with trembling hands and rifled through them. Designs, material composition, and manufacturing process-it was all there.

She picked up the tiny pistol gingerly. Gleaming silver with an ivory grip and fully loaded, the dainty little instrument fit perfectly in her hand, neither too heavy, nor too light. She would take that as a good sign.

Tomorrow, she thought bitterly. Tomorrow.


	16. Things come to a head

Tony made his way towards the South wing of Somerset House, whistling. The sun was shining, the flowers were blooming and all the world was filled with joy. Or something like that.

True, he hadn’t been able to see Wanda since their interlude yesterday. He had returned home late and by the time he had woken up she had already left the house for an appointment. But today was the day. He would get this over with and then go back, sit her down and talk everything out with her, holding nothing back. And maybe do things other than talking. Dangerously aware of the direction in which his thoughts were going, he hastily turned his attention back to the other major event happening today.

Finally. Six years of effort had finally come to an end leaving him an hour away from transforming modern warfare. Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to be stunned.

“You look happy”

Steve fell in step with Tony and grinned at Tony’s pathetic efforts to match his longer stride.

“I am merely contemplating my freedom Rogers” Tony informed him loftily.” In a few hours I will be walking out of this place, never to return, leaving behind a building full of people awed by my genius”.

Steve rolled his eyes fondly. Tony and his dramatics.

“What do you propose to do with all your free time? Take up gardening with Bruce?” Steve smiled sweetly as Tony let out an outraged noise that sounded like a cat spitting.

“Gardening?! Oh Steven, poor, innocent Steven, I almost feel sorry for your ignorance. I shudder to think what would happen to you if you didn’t possess the tiniest amount of brute strength” Tony declared causing Steve to tsk in mock sadness.

“You are so right” Steve agreed “I mean, all my brute strength did was save your life six-was it six? Or seven times”

“Uh excuse me it was five, and all you did was help out a little”

“Yes, you were definitely holding your own against those three Mohocks that night-”

“Let me inform you I was completely sloshed that night and I did manage to land a good blow on one of them “

Bickering good-naturedly the two men walked into Fury’s offices.

 

 ************************************************************* 

 

Wanda reached the door and stopped. This was the place. Apart from the pounding in her chest she felt surprisingly calm. Her hands were dry, her head was clear and her hearing was clearly superlative because she could literally hear the drumming of her own heart.

Bringing her hand up, she knocked twice as instructed.

The door swung open and she found herself looking into a pair of glittering blue eyes.

“Welcome Lady Stark. Johann Schmidt at your service”

**************************************************************** 

 

“Where is everyone?” Tony demanded as Clint entered the hall. “Steve and I’ve been waiting for about an hour now”.

“Tony needs to get back to his wife” Steve remarked slyly before narrowly avoiding a flying paperknife.

Clint shrugged. “All I know is that Hill sent me a note to let me know that the brass won’t be coming in today. Banner obviously isn’t turning up, Natasha will be late because she has a meeting with one of her people right about now, Fury is on his way and blessed if I know where Coulson is”.

Tony moaned and let his head fall back. This meant that he would have to do this twice-now for Fury and then once more at some later date to a bunch of bureaucrats and idiots with medals.

“Why?!”

Clint grinned. “He says it’s because he suspects the existence of a mole in the Home Office right now but I think it’s really just because he wants to watch you suffer”.

Steve gasped. ”Doesn’t he know Tony has a life? A _romantic_ life?  A-”

This time the cushion caught him full in the face.

****************************************************************** 

The first thing Wanda noticed about Schmidt was that he had an unusually cruel face. It was the eyes, she decided. The thick cruel lips and the lines around his mouth and eyes were bad enough, but the eyes itself…pale blue eyes, so pale as to almost appear white gleaming with more than a hint of madness.

“Lady Stark” Strucker greeted her with a smile from his chair. “I don’t believe you have met my colleague, Herr Schmidt”.

Wanda inclined her head slightly in acknowledgement. Schmidt, who had taken up a position behind Strucker’s chair smirked.

“You were right when you said she looked pitifully young, Baron” he said with obvious relish. ” Someone should have stopped Stark from robbing the cradle”.

“Now, now Herr Schmidt, you must admit it has proven quite helpful for us”. Strucker’s eyes swept over her insultingly.

“Where is my letter?” Wanda asked, her voice carefully blank. Strucker smiled.

“There is no rush my dear, we have all the time in the world. I for one would like to see what you have brought me first before handing over any letters”.

Wanda dipped her hand into her reticule and brought out the tiny silver pistol.

“I’ll repeat Baron. Where is my letter?”

Strucker chuckled while Schmidt guffawed loudly. “My dear child, we can dispense with the dramatics. I assure you I’m very impressed but since I have grave doubts as to your ability to handle that weapon I must ask Herr Schmidt to relieve you of it”.

Schmidt stepped forward, still laughing.

The pistol spoke once.

 

****************************************************************************

 

“This is getting ridiculous” Tony grumbled.

Steve nodded. “Perhaps we should leave, we have been waiting for more than an hour now. Clint’s already fallen asleep” he said, frowning at a snoring Clint.

The sounds of a commotion outside brought both men to their feet. The door was flung open and Peter Parker came flying in, coatless and hair unbrushed followed closely by Natasha who looked more furious than anyone of them could ever remember seeing her.

“My Lord!” Peter gasped, grabbing onto Tony’s arm looking nearly demented.

“Peter, what in God’s name is going on?!”

 

**************************************************************************

 

Strucker stared at his friend who was lying on the floor, holding his leg and cursing fluently in German before slowly turning his gaze back to Wanda Stark.

She stood quite still, aiming the still smoking pistol directly at him and met his stare coolly.

“Where is my letter?” she asked again in the same calm, emotionless voice.

For the first time since she had entered the room Strucker realised that the woman standing in front of him wasn’t the same woman he had left at Lady Jersey’s library four months ago. She looked entirely calm but there was something about the set of her jaw and the hint of steel in her eyes that told him there was a good chance she would leave him and Schmidt bleeding out on the floor if he didn’t cooperate.

“Very well” he said, keeping his own voice level. There was no need to panic after all, there were guards outside the building who would prevent her from leaving if she tried to escape. In hindsight, he should have left some outside the room.

He crossed over to a mahogany chest of drawers and removed the letter and the envelope before placing them on top of the cabinet.

“Now place the plans next to it”.

She looked at him for a moment in an assessing fashion before plunging her free hand inside the reticule and bringing out a bundle of papers. “Step away from the cabinet first” she said.

Strucker hesitated. What if-

A quiet moan from Schmidt decided the matter. If this wasn’t settled quickly, Schmidt would bleed to death and that would be an irreplaceable loss.

“I must inform you that I have guards posted downstairs and outside the building” he said slowly. ”It would be to your advantage to not try anything…stupid”.

Wanda’s lip curled.

Strucker took ten paces backwards and stopped. Wanda moved forward with careful steps until she reached the cabinet. Gently placing the papers down, she took the letter and looked over it quickly.

Having ascertained that it was indeed what she wanted she placed it into her reticule and stepped away, keeping her pistol trained on him. She had nearly reached the door when he said “Wait.”

She stopped, the pistol immediately coming up to line with his head.

He held up his hands. ”I too need to ascertain that these are indeed what I want Lady Stark. Come now, we can either do this the easy way or we can create a nasty scene where no one gets what they want.”

She was standing with her back facing the door now. He waited, mentally willing himself to remain calm. After a moment’s pause she nodded but kept the pistol trained on him.

He grabbed the precious bundle of papers and rifled through them, yes, yes, it was all there-designs, formulas, manufacturing process down to the tiniest details including the temperatures, all there. There was just one detail though-

“This isn’t Stark’s handwriting”

She cocked her head at that and something akin to contempt appeared in her eyes. She opened her mouth and spoke for the first time.

“Did you really think I would steal the originals and leave myself open for suspicion? They are copies of course and the drawings are tracings”.

Strucker grinned. Gott, he wished he had more recruits like this one. He watched as she carefully exited the room, keeping the pistol trained on him.

As soon as the door closed behind her Strucker kneeled down beside his friend. Schmidt was breathing more heavily than usual and the sheen of sweat on his face bore testament to the pain he was under, but his eyes still held the same mad glitter.

“Well?”

Strucker who had been inspecting the wound, muttered “Just a flesh wound”.

“Not that! The plans-what of them?”

A cruel smile curved Strucker’s lips. It was all the answer he needed.

 

**********************************************************************

 

Natasha pushed Tony gently on to a chair while Peter locked the door behind them. Both Clint and Steve stood behind Tony, wearing identical confused expressions.

“Tony” she began, the sheer rage she felt nearly choking her. She had _liked_ that little bitch.

“Tony” she tried again “Peter tells me that you lost a letter from Fury some time ago”.

Tony stared at her. ”I beg your pardon?” he asked blankly.

“Tony!” She gave him a little shake although her voice remained gentle. “Focus _please_. Did you lose a letter?”

He nodded mutely, confirming Natasha’s worst fear. That bitch, that bitch, that disgusting little bitch with her disgustingly perfect act. Natasha hated herself for having been taken in so easily.

“Tony we need to get Aberdeen Mansions as fast as possible”.

“Natasha what’s going on?” he demanded exasperated. Behind him, Steve’s hand came to rest on his shoulder although judging by the expression on his face, he too wanted answers.

Natasha closed her eyes. Now wasn’t the time for explanations but she had a feeling that they wouldn’t be leaving without one. Coulson had luckily gone on ahead with a team the moment she had told him what she had learnt.

“Tony” she began carefully, trying to keep the pity out of her eyes. The last thing he needed was that. And to think that she had been the one to encourage him…she clenched her fists wishing she could smash one into Wanda Stark’s face.

“Tony I had a meeting with one of my sources today”

He nodded, his eyes intent on her face. Behind him, Steve tensed.

“Tony, Baron Strucker is the person working alongside Schmidt”.

He blinked. ”Strucker, Esterhazy’s cousin Strucker?”

She nodded. “We don’t know everything yet but my source told me that she found a letter in his household. A letter addressed to you from Fury’s office”.

He stilled. Natasha swallowed but went on ruthlessly. Better to finish it off quickly than drag out the pain. Clint was looking horrified while Steve’s gaze was trained on Natasha, his hand still on Tony’s shoulder.

“I checked with Peter and as far as we can make out it appears to be the same letter you lost”

“And?” His voice was deathly quiet while his face had gone blank. Natasha’s nails dug into the palm of her hand.

“Tony, we think Lady Stark sold it to him”.

There was a moment’s silence. Rage had replaced horror on Clint’s face while Steve’s grip tightened.

“No”. It was spoken quietly but with finality.

Natasha sighed. She had been afraid this.

“Tony, my source found Lady Stark’s signature behind the letter”

“Your source is lying”

“Tony-“

“YOUR SOURCE IS LYING!”

Natasha nearly fell back as Tony jumped up from his chair, hands clenched into fists. Clint moved forward but Steve pushed him back.

With a visible effort Tony swallowed and stepped back.

“I-apologies. But what you are suggesting is impossible, Natasha. I know my wife and I know she isn’t capable of what you are suggesting. Either your source is lying to you or you are lying to me.”

Natasha flinched at the barb. She looked at Tony, helpless, understanding in some amount what he was feeling but needing him to understand that this was true, all of it and that they needed to get to Aberdeen Mansions as soon as possible before the little bitch committed another and worse betrayal. She would be damned before she let Tony suffer for that witch.

Help came from an unexpected source.

“My Lord” Peter said timidly, “Lady Romanoff has received information that Lady Stark will be meeting Baron Strucker there this morning. Mr Coulson has already left and we might as well go there too. If Lady Romanoff’s source is lying, then no harm done. If not…” his voice trailed away. He more than anyone knew just how much information Wanda Stark had had access to.

For one tense moment Tony didn’t move. Then with a jerky nod he strode out of the room.

Peter stared at Lord Stark, worried out of his mind. Lord Stark had spent the entirety of the carriage ride, staring out of the window, stone faced but Peter hadn’t been his secretary for so long without having some inkling of what was going through his employer’s head. Even he had trouble swallowing Lady Romanoff’s story. It was impossible to think of Lady Stark as a traitress. Even more inconceivable was the idea that she would betray Lord Stark like this.  From everything he had seen of the couple, he simply couldn’t bring himself to believe that. But the facts…

He glanced at Lady Romanoff who was sitting opposite him, her hands twisting each other in her lap. Lord Barton sat next to her, one arm around her, his face mimicking her own furious expression.

Lord Rogers sat in between him and Lord Stark, the only one among them looking remotely calm although Peter noticed that his hand had made their way back to Lord Stark’s shoulder.

The carriage came to a stop with a jolt and Lord Stark swiftly opened the door and jumped out. Peter followed hurriedly only to see Mr Coulson coming towards them looking as defeated as a man could possibly be. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to.

Filled with trepidation Peter turned slowly to face Lord Stark only to wish that he could unsee the look on Tony Stark’s ashen face.


	17. Secrets are revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I tried to write Fury without the profanity but I can't. I know it isn't period appropriate but I can't. Fury without the word 'motherfucking' is a PBJ without jelly, RDJ without snark or a Dick Cheney without an empty space where the human heart is supposed to be situated.  
> I cannot separate it from him. So my apologies,in advance.

Aberdeen Mansions was a large draughty manor-esque building, situated on the outskirts of the East End which had been originally built on the orders of a wool merchant who had managed, by dint of judicious toadying and strategic imposition of inhuman labour conditions, to build up a considerable fortune and had decided to treat himself for his hard work with a nice, vast, waste of space. Unfortunately the war had intervened, drying up his labour supply and he had been forced to abandon the half-finished monstrosity and London and seek greener pastures elsewhere.

The building had been greeted with delight by the numerous shady elements of London’s populace and had been used by them over the past years as a venue for a range of illicit activities-from peddling drugs, to serving as a bazaar for smuggled goods and for the occasional murder. Standing on the second floor of this infamous building Steve could understand the appeal. He himself was sorely tempted to snatch the wooden litter carrying Schmidt from the hands of Coulson’s agents and throw it along with its patient off the roof.

Sighing, he turned back to walk towards the room where Tony and Natasha were standing guard over Strucker. The plans had already been sent away by the time Coulson had reached, but Schmidt’s injury had slowed him down with the result that they had atleast managed to apprehend Strucker and Schmidt. Cold comfort, but it was something.

Steve entered the room and took in the scene in front of him. Strucker had been tied to a chair at the far end of the room and of the three occupants, he alone seemed completely at ease. Natasha stood about five paces away with a knife in her hand, her eyes never moving away from their prisoner.

Tony…Tony was leaning against the wall next to the door, hands crossed across his chest, staring blankly at the floor. Apart from the unnatural rigidity of his posture he gave no indication of what Steve imagined was going through his head right now.

“You are too late” Strucker drawled. “Stark’s genius is already being transported across the channel as we speak. Speaking of which, the Emperor would like me to convey his deep gratitude for your years of effort on our behalf my Lord”.

Tony said nothing. It was as if he had retreated to some place where no one could reach him. Natasha’s grip on her knife tightened.

“That’s enough” Steve said harshly. He wasn’t entirely opposed to Natasha using that thing to slice Strucker’s throat but they needed this man. Every bit of intelligence they could drag from him, could not only help England, it could also help keep the brass from raining hell down on Tony.

Strucker unfortunately did not take the hint.

“You know Stark, that little wife of yours is quite the best recruit I have ever had. When I sent her off to spy on you, all I expected to get was a few blueprints and some stray details. But no, not only does she fool you for four long months, she gives me everything I dreamed of. Everything down to the last detail”.

Steve felt sick. A dangerous gleam had appeared in Natasha’s eyes. Tony alone betrayed no emotion whatsoever.

“But there, credit where credit is due. Your genius _Stark_ , is something I assure you we are in awe of. I am a physicist myself but for the life of me I would not have thought of titanium and gold as a combination-“

“What did you just say?”

Steve’s head snapped from Natasha to Tony in confusion. Tony was looking at Strucker now, a strange look in his eyes. Natasha stiffened.

Strucker seemed just as startled as everyone at the interruption. “Titanium and gold. Now that I think of it, of course it is the perfect combination but I would have never come up with it on my own. And neither would anyone else”.

“No” Tony murmured, his eyes gleaming with some odd emotion Steve couldn’t quite understand. He looked almost dazed. “No, you wouldn’t have”.

He suddenly strode forward and gently moved Natasha aside. Dragging a chair with his foot towards him, he seated himself in front of Strucker.

“Tell me Baron” he said, the almost-jovial tone of his voice causing Strucker’s eyes to narrow in suspicion. Steve didn’t blame him, he was feeling rather confused himself. Only Natasha appeared to have some idea of what was going on.

“How on earth are you so sure that you got everything? As far as I know the plans of the Iron Man Project were and still are in the possession of my secretary. So I don’t see how they could have ended up in your possession”.

Strucker relaxed and smirked. “I wouldn’t worry Stark, your wife gave us very detailed copies”.

“Ah?” Tony said, frowning at his boots. ”How detailed? It is possible she could have left some information out, she is no scientist”.

“Oh I think you taught her a great deal Stark. She gave us information detailing the thickness of the armour to maintain its rigidity. She gave us details about the melting process. She even gave us the temperatures to which we should cool the metal. Every .Last. Detail” he repeated with relish.

Steve had often found Tony and Bruce’s conversation to be incomprehensible but he had learnt enough to know that what Strucker had just informed them was bad news. Which was why Tony’s reaction baffled him. He still looked like he had been hit on the back of his head but he also looked…happy. Ecstatically happy.

“Natasha” Tony said slowly, turning to look at her. Steve frowned.

”Natasha” he repeated, still wearing the same bizarrely gleeful expression. “I think you should call Coulson in”.

Natasha stared at him for a moment, an answering smile curving her lips. She left the room without a word.

“Now Baron”. He turned to face their prisoner who appeared just as surprised as Steve at Tony’s change in manner.

“Tell me this. How did you get my wife involved? And try not to spin me anymore lies about how she was a willing participant. You are going to die of course, but I unfortunately possess the power to decide whether it should be a quick hanging or a beheading by a _very_ blunt axe”.

Tony smiled sweetly at Strucker who had tensed at that. Steve shifted uncomfortably, a slightly queasy feeling in his stomach which vanished as soon as Strucker detailed how he had entrapped Lady Stark into working for him.

“I see “Tony said when he had finished, the triumphant note in his voice replaced by something which made Steve acutely uncomfortable. There was a dark look in his eyes as it swept over Strucker, lingering on his throat. Natasha who had returned somewhere in between Strucker’s recital twirled her knife almost lovingly, her face clearly betraying that she wanted nothing more than to skin Strucker alive .

A welcome interruption arrived in the form of Coulson, followed by Clint and Steve sighed in relief as Tony turned away from Strucker to face them.

“Call off the search”

Coulson looked at Tony thoughtfully for a moment. “You are sure?”

“Phil, believe me when I tell you that it is to our advantage that what they have reaches Boney’s people”.

Phil nodded and went out to speak with a guard while Strucker spluttered in his chair. “What does this mean?” he demanded, his face turning purple. Tony gave him another saccharine sweet smile.

“I’ll leave that for you to ponder over. Prison, I have heard, can be very boring and it is always nice to have a little puzzle to solve”.

For a moment Strucker appeared lost for words. Unfortunately it didn’t last.

“Yes you do seem to be the type to enjoy solving puzzles Stark. Is that why you married dear, sweet Wanda Maximoff?”

Tony had turned to leave, but at that he stopped.

“Careful my dear Baron”. The warning was given in a light, almost careless tone. “More of that and I’m afraid I will be induced to come up with certain things to – er - aid Coulson in questioning you”.

Strucker paid no heed. Steve found himself almost admiring the man’s courage.

“I have to tell you Stark, when she pulled out that little pistol I almost pitied you. Evidently heredity cannot be beaten. Marrying the daughter of a murderess wasn’t really your smartest move, was it Stark?”

Steve froze.

“You really should drop this subject” Tony advised Strucker pleasantly.

“But I suppose that it means she is also very good in some other… departments” he leered at Tony, leaving no one in any doubt as to what he was insinuating. “Is that why you married her? Because I must tell you I had a taste that night in Lord Jersey’s library and truth be told, it wasn’t anythin-“

All hell broke loose.

 

 *********************************************************************************

 

Coulson plonked another sheaf of papers in front of Tony and handed him the quill.

“Sign” he said unemotionally while Tony glared at him as best as he could, through one puffy eye.

“Phil, I do not have time for your formalities. I need to go home and see my wife!”

“Tony, you already saw the note Jarvis sent over. Lady Stark is at your house right now, safe and she isn’t going anywhere. The sooner you finish this, the sooner you can be on your way home. If you drag this out, I promise you, you will be spending the night in the Bailey”.

Steve could have sworn he heard Tony gnash his teeth. Grabbing the quill and dipping it in ink, Tony dragged the bundle of papers towards him and started scratching out signatures left and right.

Steve chuckled. He and Tony were sitting in one of the ante rooms of Fury’s offices along with Peter who was feverishly writing apology letters on Tony’s behalf. Natasha and Clint had taken Strucker to the Tower.

“How is your hand?”

Tony looked down at his knuckles which were already turning a deep, dark blue and gave a rueful grin. “I’ll live”.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that my lord” Peter remarked, scratching his nose with his quill. “Ana and Lady Stark could potentially kill you when they see you”.

Tony’s eyes darkened. “I’m not sure Lady Stark is a position to say or do anything to me Peter” he said sourly.

“With all due respect sir, Lady Stark is always in a position to do whatever she wants with you”.

Tony directed a look at a grinning Peter which had the effect of sending the boy out of the room posthaste.

Steve grinned. “Feeling better?”

Tony let his head fall forward on the table with a moan. “As a man who apparently missed the fact that his wife was being blackmailed for four long months, I’m not sure I should be feeling better Steve.I know you have some trite consolations on the tip of your tongue but don’t bother, I’m not in the mood”.

“I don’t”

Tony blinked and looked at Steve. ”Major Steven Rogers doesn’t have anything to say? I do believe the world is coming to an end”.

Steve chuckled. “I would have probably done worse if I were you. To even think of Peggy in that situation…” His hands clenched involuntarily.

Tony nodded. “When are the two of you going to make it official anyway?” he asked abruptly in an obvious attempt to change the subject.

Steve sighed. “Her father still hates me Tony. I might be a baronet but I have no fortune and I’m still just a Major in the army. Peggy is the daughter of an Earl, of course her father is right when he says she deserves a better match, no matter what she thinks she wants”.

“Steve I need you to look at me immediately”. Steve did so, startled by the urgency in Tony’s voice.

“About an hour ago I stood in a room thinking that everything I thought I had was a lie. Thinking that I had lost the one thing I didn’t even realise I needed so much. Realising that I didn’t have anything worth living for anymore.

I hadn’t but I could have. I could have woken up today morning to the news that she had left me. I could have walked into that room and found a different body lying on the floor.

And that feeling…nothing is worth having to feel that”

Steve remembered his one glimpse of that dreadful look Tony had worn on seeing Coulson’s face and swallowed. Tony was right. Nothing was worth that.

“Was Strucker telling the truth?” he asked suddenly. “About Lady Stark’s mother?”

Tony didn’t answer immediately. He dipped the quill in the bottle once again.

“My wife’s past history isn’t something anyone in England is aware of”. Steve looked at Tony curiously. “And I would like to keep it that way”.

There was a pause while Steve pondered the implications of what Tony had just said. He looked up to find Tony watching him, prompting Steve to give him a reassuring smile. Tony smiled back.

 “Now let me finish this damned thing before Coulson makes good on his promise and forces Wanda to post bail for me”.

 

*****************************************************************************

 

“WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE MOTHERFUCKING LORD IS FUCKING GOING ON?!”

Phil tried not to flinch as the man who ran the British Foreign Office and Intelligence division screamed into his face.

“ I have had morons of various descriptions give me contradictory reports since morning and I want some fucking answers Coulson, so give me some motherfucking answers!”

Phil sighed. “As I have no doubt Agent Hill has already informed you sir, Lady Romanoff discovered that Baron Strucker is the head of this operation Schmidt has been running in England. We also suspected for a brief period of time that Lady Stark was one of their operatives and that she had planned to hand over the plans of the Iron Man project today.

Upon reaching this meeting place, there was no sign of Lady Stark but we managed to apprehend both Strucker and Schmidt who appeared to confirm our suspicions prompting us to start a search for both Lady Stark and the plans she reportedly handed over.

Fortunately for us, Lady Stark seems to have acted in the interests of the British Government and the plans she handed over to them seems to have been a dummy”.

Fury lit his pipe and took a deep drag. “She fed them false information?” He lifted an impressed eyebrow.

“It would appear so”.

“Have we started interrogating these two men?”

“We can’t” Phil replied, coming close to rolling his eyes at Fury’s predictable outburst.“Schmidt will take at least a week to be fit for interrogation. He was shot in the leg by Lady Stark”.

Fury whistled. “What about the other fellow-Strucker?”

Phil winced and prayed that his ears could withstand what was coming next. ”The doctors say that he may become fit enough to interrogate but it will take at least four months and only if he doesn’t come down with an infection”.

“WHAT THE FUCKING HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!”

Phil closed his eyes and wished with all his heart that his employer would show some consideration for his poor ear drums. Melinda had already predicted that he would end up deaf by fifty.

“Strucker provoked Stark and Stark attacked him” he answered baldly.

Fury stared at him incredulously. “What the fuck did Stark do to Strucker that he has to stay in the motherfucking hospital for four months?!”

“From bottom up- Two broken fibulas, broken kneecaps, we are not sure exactly what Tony did to his balls, he cannot pass urine so we are suspecting an injury to the penis as well, bruises on his abdomen suggestive of internal injuries, multiple rib fractures, Tony nearly strangled him to death so he is not speaking right now, a broken nose, two black eyes and a concussion.” Phil recited, warily keeping an eye on Fury who seemed to be swelling like a bullfrog with each word.

“WHAT IN THE NAME OF MOTHERFUCKING HELL WERE YOU MOTHERFUCKERS DOING WHEN STARK WAS ASSAULTING MY PRISONER? PICKING DAISIES?! AND WHAT ON EARTH DID STARK USE? A FUCKING HAMMER?!”

“Fists, a chair and his knowledge of the human anatomy” Phil replied calmly. “It took the combined efforts of Major Rogers, Barton, me and Mr Parker to get Tony off of Strucker. He was in … quite a mood.”

“Yes I see that!” Fury spat. “What I want to know is, where was Romanoff? She would have pulled Stark off in minutes”.

“Natasha was inspecting her nails” Phil replied drily.

Fury stared at him speechless while Phil studiously ignored his gaze.

After a moment’s pause Fury said in a slightly mollified tone “How on earth did that girl get herself mixed up in this business anyway?”

Phil’s lips tightened. “Strucker appears to have trapped her and has been systematically blackmailing her for some time.”

Fury grunted. “Stupid of her but nothing that can’t be corrected during training.”

Phil’s head snapped up and he stared at Fury, utterly and completely flabbergasted. The whole world and its mother knew Fury was insane but this was a different level of insanity, even for him.

“You are not suggesting that we train her are you?”

Fury grunted again. “She seems to have kept a cool head throughout this business, shot a man in as neat a way as possible and managed to feed the enemy false information. She seems to have something in her at least”

Phil gaped at him. “You are aware that Tony Stark will not hesitate for even a second to dismember you if you so much as make such a suggestion, don’t you sir?”

Fury brought his hand crashing down on the table. ”I MAKE THE MOTHERFUCKING RULES AROUND HERE!” he roared.

Phil gave up.


	18. Confrontations

Tony grabbed the knocker and banged it against his front door until the door opened.

“Master Tony!” Ana scolded. “If you are going to behave like-“

“Where is she?” Tony demanded, cutting her off. Evidently realising that she was confronting a man who was hanging onto his sanity by a very, very thin thread Ana cut short her scold and provided the necessary information.

“In your study. I have taken her up a cup of strong tea but she still looks very shaken, the poor lamb so I don’t want to see any bullying from you today” she said sternly.

Tony gaped at her, the obvious response to **_that_** trembling on his lips but he let it go. He had bigger problems.

Reaching his study door, he paused for a moment with his hand on the door knob. What if Jarvis had lied in the note? What if she was hurt? What if she told him something he couldn’t bear to hear-especially in the light of everything he had just realised today?

Setting his jaw, Tony pushed the door open and entered the room.

She was sitting on the chaise lounge at the far end of the room, hands clasped in her lap, eyeing him warily. He stood still for a moment, taking stock of her.

She was much paler than he liked to see, her eyes appearing almost comically large in that thin, pinched face but appeared otherwise unharmed. Physically at least. He let out a deep breath he hadn’t realised he had been holding and walked over to the sideboard to pour himself a good stiff drink.

Having done that he turned to face the woman whose eyes had been silently following his movements.

“So” he smiled pleasantly.

She said nothing. The expression on her face reminded him of one he had seen on a young soldier’s face once, right before his leg had been amputated.

“So” he repeated, his smile never wavering. “Jarvis will no doubt have told you that I, along with a few friends paid a visit to Aberdeen mansions today morning and picked up a few people”

He waited. After a few seconds, she gave a stiff nod but remained silent.

“Wonderful. While I’m afraid the bullet you put in Schmidt’s leg meant that I didn’t even get to greet him, I had a most enlightening talk with your old friend Strucker before Fury’s people-er removed him”.

Still silence. It was getting harder to maintain his smile. His cheek muscles were starting to ache.

“Is there something you would like to tell me Wanda?” he queried sweetly. “It is about four months too late of course, but well better late than never eh?”

He could see her throat move as she swallowed but she still said nothing.

“No? Well then let me tell you what I learnt from Strucker. It seems, and this is so fantastical you almost won’t believe it - it seems dear Baron Strucker was actually one of Bonaparte’s prized agents who used his family connections to enter London society. He then proceeded to take advantage of a certain lady’s trust to manoeuvre her into an incriminating situation following which he blackmailed her in an effort to get information”.

Tony paused. Wanda’s hands were clasped so tightly now, he was half afraid she would end up breaking a metacarpal.

“And now we come to the most ridiculous part of this story. Naturally, anyone of sense would suppose that this lady would waste no time in telling everything to her husband and trusting him to take care of the situation but no, no- she comes up with an outrageous plan, a plan so fraught with danger that it’s a miracle it ever worked and proceeds to carry it out nearly sending everything and everyone to hell in the process. A hilarious story isn’t it?” he asked brightly.

She lifted her head and finally brought her eyes to meet with his own. There was shame there, but there was also a queer sort of defiance.

“What do you want me to say?” she asked in a small, rather wobbly voice.

“Oh I don’t know” Tony said, starting to walk towards her. “It would help if I knew why you didn’t GODDAMN TELL ME!”

The rage and the hurt he had kept back for so long finally spilled over and he found himself nearly shaking with the force of his emotions. Wanda flinched but met his eyes bravely.

“Four months” he gritted out. “You spent four months with me, talking to me, laughing with me and you didn’t think to inform me that a French agent was attempting to use you to spy on me? Or did it slip your mind my lady?”

Her eyes were beginning to fill but he didn’t stop. Couldn’t.

“Was it all an act? " He finally asked what had been eating away at him ever since Natasha had nearly destroyed him with a few sentences.Because what if-what if she had just been pretending this whole time?What if she didn't care tuppence for him?What if he had just been dreaming a fool's dream?What if she had just been making a fool of him? He willed his voice to remain steady.

"All the time you spent with me down in my workshop, the insistence that I take my meals with you, all the things you shared with me-was that all just to get close enough to carry out what you had in mind?”

“That’s not true”. She was trembling but she met his eyes squarely. “That’s not true and you know it. Don’t insult me by saying that”.

Tony suddenly realised that he was exceedingly tired. Placing his glass on the chaise, he slumped down on the carpet. Supporting himself with his arms he leaned back to look directly at her.

“Why then? Why not just tell me?”

She gave a small sob and he suppressed the urge to take her in his arms. “I wanted to but in the beginning- in the beginning I didn’t trust you to not give me up to the authorities”.

He tasted bile.

She must have seen his expression because she hurried on. “Then-then I was too scared to tell you the truth”

“Scared of me” Tony repeated dully.

“No.” He looked up. “Scared of how you would look at me once you had heard what I had to say. Terrified that you would hate me”.

Tony released a deep sigh and leaned forward to bury his head in Wanda’s lap. She stiffened but her hand came to rest on top of his head.

“I think we are past the stage where we could possibly end up hating each other sweetheart” Tony mumbled, his voice muffled by her skirts.

They stayed like that for some time,the silence broken only by her sniffles. Her hand carded through his hair, the gentle touch calming him.

“Is everything over then?” she finally asked.

Realising that the conversation he was about to have necessitated a more comfortable seat than the floor, Tony stood up with a sigh and proceeded to lift Wanda bodily, ignoring her surprised squeak. Settling himself in the space she had just vacated –or rather been forced to vacate- he tugged her down into his lap and wrapped his hands around her. She hesitated for a moment before tucking her head into the crook of his neck and cuddling up to him.

“Well as I said, they were both arrested. Despite your best efforts Schmidt will live and hopefully give us something valuable.”

“And Strucker?” She raised her head to look at him. “What did you do to him?”

He squinted down at her. “What makes you think I did anything to him?”

She raised an eyebrow and lifted her hand to touch his swollen left eye, gently. Damn. He had forgotten about that.

“We should put some ice on that” she murmured, those dreaded lines appearing on her brow. “Later” he said, tightening his grip. At present all he wanted was some peace and quiet.

“Purely out of curiosity, what did you put in those papers you gave the poor sap?”

She snorted. “Every mistake you had told me you had made. At the most they will be able to produce a shapeless lump of metal which will fall apart at the first opportunity”.

“I am impressed” Tony informed her with mock solemnness “This explains the very obvious, forced interest you displayed in my pet project. I was a little confused at the time”

Wanda flushed.“I wasn’t faking interest in your other work” she mumbled, dropping her eyes. “It’s just-I couldn’t rid myself of the feeling that I was deceiving you whenever you talked about this particular project”.

“You were” Tony said drily.

She was quiet. “Yes I was “she finally whispered. He held her closer.

“Did you kill him?” she asked after some time, the cadence of her breathing telling him that she was dropping off to sleep. Tony’s mouth twisted and he shook his head. “Unfortunately, no”

“Pity”

Tony let out a huffed laugh. For all her gentle demeanour his wife had a vicious streak which she had thoroughly put on display today. He was both terrified and aroused by it.

“What would you have done if this horrifyingly dangerous plan hadn’t worked? Strucker is a scientist. What if he had seen through your deception?” he asked sternly.

“Shot him and then shot myself” she mumbled drowsily.

He froze. The roaring in his ears had returned without a vengeance while his heart went back to attempting to jump out of his chest.

“I. Beg. Your. Pardon?”

She made an annoyed sound while simultaneously burrowing into his coat, trying to find a more comfortable position to sleep, entirely and comfortably unaware of the effect her statement had had on her husband.

“Sensible course of action. Can’t do anything if he is dead. No murder trial if I’m dead .No scandal for you. Fury would have hushed it up. Let me sleep” she griped, rubbing her face against his shirt.

Tony reminded himself that he hadn’t endured the day’s alarming events just to end up strangling his wife. “How noble of you my lady” he said acidly. “Unfortunately, I’m afraid I have quite a lot to say on that score to you”

“Tomorrow” she sighed, more than halfway into dreamland. “Not slept for a while”

Recalling the dark circles that had been making an appearance for more than a week now, Tony decided to accede to her request. Besides tomorrow meant he had time to come up with a terrifying and excessively shaming lecture which would hopefully prevent her from even thinking about keeping secrets from him in the future.

Speaking of secrets- Jarvis was right. Again.

“I have something to tell you too” he blurted “Something concerning you. Your parents, actually”

“Tomorrow” she moaned. Tony blinked. Excellent, he had approximately twelve hours to think about the fallout of what he was going to tell her. Suddenly ‘tomorrow’ didn’t seem to be such a good idea after all. However there was something else he had to say, something that couldn’t wait.

“Wanda?”

“Hmmm”

“I love you”.

He had always imagined that the words, if and when he would ever say it, would feel strange but instead it felt…normal. More than normal. It felt right.

“I’m in love with you” he continued as she raised her head to look at him, the drowsy look in her eyes having been replaced by something else. “I have been in love with you for quite some time now. But I didn’t realise how much until- well until today”.

“I know” she said, startling him. She looked up at him with wide, serious eyes. “I went in there knowing that”

He didn’t say anything. Mostly because he didn’t know what to say. Wanda went back to burrowing into him while he waited.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” he demanded indignantly after a few minutes. Women. Bare your soul to them and they will end up spitting on it.

A muffled sigh came from the recesses of his coat. “My Lord, I just informed you that I was ready to kill a man to protect your honour. I did nearly kill a man for the same reason. If that doesn’t tell you anything then you are a bigger idiot than I thought” she said, exasperated.

Tony blinked.

“Well I know what you are going to say, it would just be nice to hear it from _your_ mouth” he mumbled, feeling aggrieved. Dammit what was so wrong with wanting one’s wife to tell him she loved him? Ten months of marriage and he was already a hen pecked husband.

“Tomorrow” she said drowsily. Tony sighed and cuddled her closer. “Tomorrow” he agreed with a fond smile.

There was no rush after all. They had a whole life together.


	19. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally!  
> I might be adding a few stray,random chapters later,mostly fluff, perhaps smut, but this is in essence what I had intended this story to be.  
> A huge thanks to all those who commented and left a kudos and an ENORMOUS one to AmbitiousWitch for her invaluable help.

** Three weeks later **

“Wanda!”

Wanda who had been watching Tony swing Peggy Carter around with equal parts amusement and trepidation turned at that familiar, adored voice.

“Darcy”. She hugged her friend close. “Who is your companion?” she asked, discreetly taking stock of the young brown haired woman dressed in blue standing next to Darcy.

“This is my dear cousin Jane, Miss Foster. She has made her home with us ever since her parents passed away but since she is a year younger to me, father decided to wait a year instead of letting her make her come-out with me. Personally I believe he just didn’t want to let Jane go, for if Jane goes who is to help him decipher the mysteries of the universe?” Darcy’s eyes widened comically causing Jane to blush and Wanda to laugh.

“You are interested in the natural sciences Miss Foster?” Wanda enquired, already developing a liking for the girl.

“Very much so My Lady” Jane replied eagerly. “I am mainly interested in astronomy but I have also followed Lord Stark’s work for a long time. He has an extraordinarily brilliant mind my lady, you must be very proud”.

Wanda smiled fondly and turned back to look at the ‘extraordinarily brilliant’ man who was scandalizing the ballroom by twirling Peggy Carter in the air while she shrieked down at him. Her own fiancé had abandoned his dance with Laura Barton and they were both shaking with laughter in the middle of the ballroom. Truth to be told only Bruce and Natasha were carrying on with the waltz, Natasha magnificently ignoring the scene as only Natasha could do while Bruce was too busy gazing into Natasha’s eyes.

“Sometimes I am” she replied with a laugh to a round eyed Jane. “And at times like this, assuredly not”.

The waltz came to an end and one by one, her friends straggled back to where she, Darcy and Jane were standing. It was Steve and Peggy’s engagement ball and everyone had turned up including Laura Barton who had given birth only a week ago.

“Ladies!” their host, Lord Thor Odinson, heir to the Duke of Asgard boomed before enveloping Darcy in a hug until she was snatched away by Captain Barnes.

“Gently Thor, one of your hugs could potentially kill my fiancé and then where would I be?” he said grinning, drawing Darcy close.

Clint tsked at the pouting Thor.

“Listen to him Thor, there isn’t much of a demand among young ladies for a brain dead, one armed ex-soldier”. He smirked as Barnes replied with a lewd hand gesture causing Laura Barton to quickly cover Miss Foster’s eyes with her hand.

“We have a new friend” she warned, silencing all three men immediately. Wanda grinned which transformed into a beaming smile when she felt two arms encircle her waist. Only one man would be so bold as to embrace her in the middle of a ballroom. She told him as much.

“I should hope only one man would be bold enough to embrace you ever” Tony replied firmly. “I hate to tell you this my love, but if that isn’t the case then I am going to end up slapping some man with my glove today”

Her callous heart unmoved by her husband’s willingness to fight a duel for her, Wanda rolled her eyes and smiled reassuringly at Jane who was looking distinctly terrified at the company she found herself in. Darcy on the other hand cooed while Clint scrunched up his face and made kissing noises causing Natasha to swat him on the head.

“I married a child” Laura said sadly, shaking her head.

Peggy and Steve joined them then, Peggy casting a baleful look at Tony before smiling warmly at Wanda.

“My dear you look quite charming. The dress, the jewels-perfect. Those earrings particularly are exquisite, did Tony buy them for you?”

Wanda who had blushed at the compliment, replied “Thank you Peggy, you look stunning as well. The earrings no, they are a gift but not from Tony. They are from Sir Fury actually”.

Her face twisted in confusion. For some reason, Fury had been sending her gifts via Agent Hill-flowers, a basket of fruits, a volume of poems and now these earrings. She supposed it was a thank-you of sorts for leading them to Schmidt and found the gesture rather sweet. Oddly enough, the sight of them had the same effect on Tony that the sight of a red rag would have on a bull.

The orchestra luckily struck up again causing Bruce to hurriedly ask Wanda for a dance. The rest of the group watched them go silently. Steve’s face was red with suppressed laughter, Phil’s lips were pressed together tightly while Clint was holding on to his wife, shaking with mirth. Even Natasha’s lips were twitching. Thor however looked confused giving some comfort to Jane who had been blinking in confusion.

Peggy opened her mouth.

“Don’t” Tony bit out through clenched teeth.

“So-“

“Yes”

“Does she know?”

Tony gave them a Look.

“Er-did you inform Fury of your decision?”

“Peggy I have sent five official letters, fifteen unofficial ones and have in increasingly explicit terms informed Fury that my wife will not work for him. The man is incapable of understanding the word NO”

“How explicit?” Clint demanded gleefully.

Tony hesitated looking at Miss Foster. Darcy obligingly covered Jane’s ears with her hands.

“Fuck You Fury, I won’t let my wife within ten miles of you”

They roared. Tony audibly ground his teeth before turning to Miss Foster with his most charming smile. “Miss Foster, I find myself getting tired of our company. Would you honour me with a dance?”

 

“Tony,

My precious, precious Tonyyy,

How harsh can you beee,

We only have you till you leave us for Italyyy- next week” Clint sang,loudly and proudly off key

 

Rewarding Clint for his talents with another lewd gesture Tony escorted Jane Foster to the dance floor leaving them all to stare at Phil.

“What?”

“You haven’t told him” Steve said in a gleeful voice. “You haven’t told him of the meeting with the Generals scheduled two weeks from now”

“No” Phil replied, not noticeably upset. Beside him, Melinda chuckled.

“Phil is scared!” Clint nearly skipped with joy while his wife rolled her eyes although she too appeared highly entertained.

“Barton I am not going to run the risk of leaving my wife widowed and my children orphaned, by informing Stark that he has to postpone his honeymoon. I have left the job to Hill and I believe she will be doing so tomorrow”

“Can we listen in?” Clint begged causing Phil’s lips to twitch. “I think that can be arranged” he said reluctantly.

The shout of laughter caused Wanda, along with several other occupants of the ballroom, to direct her gaze to the corner where their friends stood.

“What on earth do you think is going on?” she asked frowning.  Tony, who had raised eyebrows by forcing Bruce to exchange partners sniffed. ”Something childish, I’m sure” he replied loftily.

Wanda gurgled at hearing Tony describe someone else as childish earning herself a mock-glare from her Lord and Master.

“Be nice to me or I’ll kiss you “Tony pouted causing Wanda to blush a fiery red. She scowled which only served to make Tony’s eyes dance more.

He leaned in and whispered “Very well, I’ll start by describing what I will be doing to you tonight in our bed “.

While Lady Carter’s and Lord Rogers’s engagement ball was acclaimed as a success, it was agreed that the room had been unusually crowded and hot. Why, the gossips declared, poor Lady Stark had been as red as a tomato for almost the whole duration of the ball.


	20. Random chapter 1- (Rated M)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this was originally part of the epilogue but I edited it out because I felt it didn't fit with the chapter. So I'm posting it as a separate random chapter.  
> It is rated Mature- Innocent souls stay away!

Wanda could feel Tony’s eyes burning a hole through her as she struggled with the buttons on the back of her dress. Stupid, stupid buttons. And stupid, stupid, Tony-teasing her, winding her up and getting her all hot and bothered. She prayed that no one had noticed although Laura Barton had sent a couple of knowing smiles her way.

“Would you like any assistance my lady?” the creature asked in honeyed tones.

“No!” she snapped, frustrated as the damned button slipped through her hand again.

A hand came up to still her frantic movements. “Gently” the monster laughed, moving her hand aside. ”You will tear your dress”. He placed a kiss on the shell of her ear making her shiver. “That’s my job”.

Wanda closed her eyes as her husband set to work on her buttons, in more ways than one. As each fastening was deftly released Tony’s lips would make contact with the gossamer thin chemise, the heat of his kisses searing her skin, with the result that she was very nearly incapable of conscious thought by the time the last button had been slipped out of its hook. She swayed back, nearly falling, held upright only by his strong grip on her arms.

Tony chuckled and leaned forward to press his lips against her neck making her moan. She felt him smile at that before nuzzling into her neck.

“Tony” she gasped as he gently bit down on the soft skin.

“Mmhmm” He eased the green silk dress down her shoulders, the shift of the fabric against her already sensitive body sending her senses into overdrive. “What is this colour called again?”

“Emerald green” she gasped as he drew her chemise clad body against his own fully clothed one. She was burning up like a furnace by this point.

“I like it” he murmured against her ear, one hand wrapped around her waist, holding her close, other drawing patterns on her exposed thighs, nearly driving her insane. ”It brings out your eyes. The dress was pretty too. Unusual”

“If by unusual you mean it has a thick, foamy skirt removing the need for a petticoat then yes, it was unusual” she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. Tony shook with laughter behind her. “Darling I’m afraid you know me too well” he said, his hands working their way up.

“I do” Wanda sighed as Tony continued his work on her neck, making her head spin.

With a muffled oath Tony stepped back before grabbing her hand and dragging her to their bed.

“No, no, no! This is not going to end up like our first night.”

Wanda giggled as Tony pushed her onto the bed before hastily beginning to divest himself of his clothing. Tony had scoured London to obtain bowls of roses despite being repeatedly informed that it was November, filled their room with scented candles and ordered the bed to be draped with the softest quilts only to end up taking her virginity on the floor of the library where he had banished her in order to complete his preparations. She had laughed long and hard when she had finally seen his handiwork before devoting her energies to kiss the crestfallen expression off his face.

“Well I enjoyed it” she said, rising to help him remove his cravat before turning her attention to **_his_** shirt buttons.

Tony pouted and stole a kiss. Together they managed to get the shirt off his body and Wanda pressed herself against his naked chest, sighing in pleasure at the feel of him.

“You will love Italy” Tony whispered into her ear, rocking his pelvis in just such a manner as to press his hard length against where she ached the most, making her let out a breathy little moan. She blushed at the noise, causing Tony to grin.

“Three weeks of uninhibited love making and my wife can still blush?!” he exclaimed in faux horror. “Evidently I’m not doing a good enough job”.

Wanda stared at him with narrowed eyes before stepping back, ignoring his protests. With one swift motion she dragged the chemise off of her leaving her completely naked.

“Well?” she addressed her flabbergasted husband, climbing into their bed. “Aren’t you joining me?”

It was embarrassing how fast he ended up next to her. “Minx” he growled, dragging her into his arms. She laughed up at him before lifting her face for his kiss.

He kissed like he did everything else-thoroughly and so, so well she thought with a sigh of pleasure as his tongue swept into her mouth, eliciting sensations she hadn’t known existed before him. She locked her hands around his neck, forcing him to come closer and rubbed herself against him.

He surfaced, breathing at an alarmingly fast rate, a wild look in his eyes.

“Don’t do that” he breathed, peppering her jaw with kisses.

“This?” Wanda asked with a sly little smile, dragging herself against him.

“Sweetheart, unless you wish for the proceedings to end in an embarrassingly short period of time, you should really stop doing that”. He gave an unsteady chuckle as she pouted at him.

“Minx” he said again fondly. “Or rather-witch. My little scarlet witch”. He bent down to suck on her lower lip.

“That’s not nice” Wanda gasped as Tony’s lips went further south. He grinned. “I never said I was nice, my love”

A scream broke from her lips as Tony’s lips captured one taut nipple in his mouth. His tongue swirled around it, doing unspeakable things to her body and her sanity.

“If you scream so much in Italy, we will be kicked out of every hotel in the country” he remarked smugly. She pinched him, eliciting an agonized howl. “Yes I see what you mean” she said, smiling sweetly.

Tony studied her with a look in his eyes that made her extremely nervous before bending to exact his revenge on her breasts. Suffice to say, the next five minutes were entirely filled with Wanda’s screams.

He raised his head finally and grinned at her, a triumphant, mischievous grin. She had a feeling she should be annoyed but she was still in that blissed out, heavenly, state of consciousness preventing her from doing anything other than smiling beatifically at him.

He chuckled. “A witch that looks thoroughly defiled” he informed her. She gave a rapturous sigh as he nudged himself against her, groaning as he found her wet and ready.

“Darling, darling wife” he whispered as he tried to move inside her while her muscles which were stubbornly clinging on to their virgin status, despite having passed that post some time ago, held him in a vice grip. She tried to shift, to help accommodate him but he shushed her, instead moving his hand down to work his magic. A few clever flicks and a particularly loud scream later he was buried to his hilt inside her, filling her up in ways she couldn’t even begin to describe.

“You look so happy like this” he said tenderly, beginning to move inside her. She clung to him and beamed back. “You also look very wanton” he smirked. She pursed her lips and abruptly squeezed herself around him.

He gasped.

“Wildcat” he laughed and she blushed, remembering the scratch marks she had found on his back that morning. The blush seemed to spark something in him and he started moving faster, driving conscious thought out of her mind until he collapsed on top of her with a groan, right after her own body had shattered.

Rolling over, he dragged the quilt on top of them before tugging her to him and settling her against his sweaty body.

“Good?” he asked, his voice sounding deeper, more gravelly. She gave a delighted sigh making him chuckle again.

“Tony?”

“Hmm?”

She turned to face him, making sure that she was looking right into his eyes. “I love you”

His eyes danced.

“I know “he replied before closing his eyes leaving her staring at him with her mouth open.

“I’ll pay you for that when you wake up” she grumbled. He didn’t open his eyes but the corners of his mouth twitched as she moved closer, settling her head right below his chin.

“I really will” she repeated loudly before drifting off to sleep.


End file.
